Calgary–South Edmonton train

The Calgary–South Edmonton train, at times the Calgary–Edmonton train, was a Canadian passenger train service between Alberta's two most populous cities: Calgary and Edmonton. Intermediate stops along the corridor were in Didsbury, Olds, Innisfail, Red Deer, and Wetaskiwin. Rail service was replaced with buses in 1985.

Calgary–South Edmonton train
Canadian Pacific train from Calgary on the High Level Bridge in Edmonton in the 1950s
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleAlberta, Canada
Last serviceOctober 26, 1985
Former operator(s)Via Rail, Canadian Pacific Railway
Route
TerminiTower Centre, Calgary
Strathcona (1972–1985)
Edmonton (1913–1972)
Stops16 (1970)
7 (1985)
Distance travelled312 km (194 mi)
Average journey time3 hr 10 min
Service frequencyTwo daily round trips
Train number(s)195, 197 (northbound)
194, 196 (southbound)
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Track owner(s)Canadian Pacific Railway

History

In 1891, the Calgary and Edmonton Railway completed a rail line from Calgary to "South Edmonton", an area south of Edmonton across the North Saskatchewan River. The trip initially took around 12 hours.[1]

In 1899, South Edmonton was incorporated as the Town of Strathcona. This town was merged into Edmonton in 1912, becoming the Strathcona neighborhood.[2]

On January 8, 1904, the Canadian Pacific Railway acquired control of the Calgary and Edmonton Railway.[3] To better compete with the Canadian Northern Railway, the CP built the High Level Bridge over the North Saskatchewan River and extended service to the downtown Edmonton station on September 2, 1913.[4] This lasted until October 29, 1972, when service was cut back to again terminate at Strathcona station.[5][6]

In 1978, Via Rail assumed operation of the route alongside the rest of Canadian Pacific's passenger trains. Under Via, the train ran from Tower Centre in Calgary through Red Deer to Strathcona in Edmonton. Timetables listed the latter stop as "South Edmonton" to distinguish it from the downtown Edmonton station built by the Canadian National Railway. Service consisted of two daily round trips, taking about 3 hours 10 minutes to traverse the 312 km (194 mi) route.[7]

On October 27, 1985, the train was discontinued and replaced with motorcoach bus service via Alberta Highway 2.[8]

Proposed restoration
Main article: High-speed rail in Canada § Calgary–Edmonton

References
  1. "Trains in Calgary". www.visitcalgary.com. Tourism Calgary. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  2. "A Brief History of Alberta's Railways". The Alberta Railway Museum. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  3. "The Calgary and Edmonton Railway". Atlas of Alberta Railways. University of Alberta Press. 2005. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  4. Herzog, Lawrence (November 24, 2014). "Tracks Into the Past". Edmonton City As Museum Project. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  5. Brown, Ron (August 30, 2014). The Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore: An Illustrated History of Railway Stations in Canada (4 ed.). Dundurn. ISBN 978-1459727816.
  6. "CP Rail Timetable". Canadian Pacific Railway. October 29, 1972. p. 7. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  7. "Western Transcontinental Services". Via Rail Canada. October 29, 1978. p. 17. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  8. "System Timetable". Via Rail Canada. October 27, 1985. p. 50. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
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