CALGARY — Canadian conservation groups are expressing concerns over a proposed Calgary-Banff rail service, saying they’re concerned the project is ignoring wildlife and environmental issues.
Global News reports that the local chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is concerned there isn’t enough transparency in the planning process, while the Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation Initiative is worried about the impact on wildlife.
“It seems very premature to be talking about this project as if it’s a done deal when there’s a lot of questions and blanks,” Sarah Elmeligi of the parks and wilderness group told the broadcaster. “Our hope is that we can actually become a formal part of these consultations.”
The $1.5 billion project — proposed by Liricon Capital Ltd., which owns a Banff ski resort and has a long-term lease on the Banff train station — seeks to offer service between Calgary and Banff every two hours, in addition to service every 15 minutes between downtown Calgary and the city’s airport [see “Calgary-Banff rail proposal sees price rise …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 9, 2021].
Among its goals is to address heavy traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway, which saw about 23,000 vehicles at Banff National Park daily as of 2017 [see “Canada Infrastructure bank could provide major funding …,” News Wire, July 15, 2021]. And Liricon has said the trains could be hydrogen-powered, further reducing emissions.
But the project would involve double-tracking an existing Canadian Pacific line, and Hilary Youung of the Yellowstone to Yukon group says adding an additional rail line “will further fracture wildlife populations and reduce available habitat. Adding a high-frequency, high-speed rail line within an internationally significant wildlife corridor will have far-reaching implications for multiple species, including grizzly bears.”
Liricon and its co-developers “welcome the opportunity to continue to receive input from the conservationist community,” among others, during the ongoing development of the project, said Jan Waterous, Liricon’s managing director.
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