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Benefits of
Securing a High Speed Corridor Now
High speed rail and other rapid interurban passenger
transportation technologies are key to a future eco-friendly and
sustainable movement of people between urban municipalities
 - Inflation and continued development will escalate the cost of
acquiring land later;
- Inflation will escalate the cost of constructing the system later;
- The population continues to increase at a rate that will only make the
concept of a rapid interurban passenger transportation system
increasingly viable and desirable, especially in the Calgary-Red
Deer-Edmonton corridor -- most studies indicate that such a system is
viable now;
-Delaying or eliminating the need for costly highway expansion and
infrastructure;
-Provides an opportunity for Alberta to construct a world-class
transportation system that would integrate the province into a single
economic global entity;
-The reduction of pollution and highway collisions would reduce
escalating health care costs;
 - An electrified rail system is
currently considered the most energy-efficient means of
moving large numbers of people between cities and would therefore reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption significantly;
- A dedicated rail system would be a safer and more reliable
transportation system in all weather as compared to other modes of
transportation;
- Once built, a rapid rail system would have sufficient capacity to
eliminate the need to expand at least some transportation infrastructure well into the future;
 - Passengers would be far more productive than if they were sitting in
their vehicles in traffic and would reach their destinations 50% or more
faster;
- The economic spinoffs of attracting business, industry and tourism
would be significant;
- Opportunities may exists to share funding between various levels of
government and the private sector;
- A rapid passenger transportation corridor could also act as a utility
corridor for future water, power, telecommunications and other utility
systems that would generate additional income from the corridor's use;
- Rapid interurban passenger rail service is likely to have as
significant an impact on the prosperity and mobility of the province as
the building of the divided Highway 2 corridor in the 1960's and the
building of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880's.
News article -
Chamber pressing high-speed rail
plan
(Red Deer Advocate Jan.2011)
News article -
Project creates issues for rural
residents
(Red Deer Advocate Nov.2010)
News article -
Rail plan returns
(Red Deer Advocate July 2010)
News article -
Get moving on high-speed rail
link: expert
(Red Deer Advocate June 2010)
News article -
Rural groups want high-speed
rail study
(Red Deer Advocate March 2010)
News article -
Political will lags behind train debate
(Red Deer Advocate Oct.2009)
News article -
Province offers update on high speed rail
(Red Deer Express July 2009)
News article -
Company pushes for high speed rail
(Red Deer Express April 2008)
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