The Banff Railway Lands Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) sets forward a bold, integrated vision for the heritage train station lands. The Plan is both environmentally and economically sustainable and designed to protect and enhance Banff National Park’s status as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This vision stands on the shoulders of past initiatives to advance mass and active transit, restore wildlife corridors and celebrate the park’s history and culture by the Town of Banff, the Government of Alberta, the Federal Government, and environmental and community groups.

This ARP provides the real estate and infrastructure to create the option for governments and private operators to form public-private-partnerships that will help bring into reality decades-old dreams of Banffites, Albertans, and Canadians.

The plan includes:

• Creating an arrival centre for integrated, multi-modal, low carbon, green transit systems
• Enhancing the Fenland Indian Grounds wildlife corridor
• Developing an authentic Rocky Mountain Parks railway heritage destination and community hub.

Collectively, these components will:

• Authentically restore Banff’s heritage in an ultra-low-density plan to support people and wildlife movement
• Support purposeful travel by weaving together sustainability, education, and extraordinary experiences
• Address the impact of personal vehicles degrading the environment and visitor experience and help Banff National Park become North America’s first net-zero emissions community by 2035.

Importantly, the ARP is a planning document and all projects contemplated within it require further approvals before anything can be built, ensuring conformance with the Town of Banff’s commercial cap. While the ARP provides for potential rail services (shuttle centre and micro-mobility rentals) within the Railway Lands, a passenger train to Calgary would require separate approvals before construction and operation.

Liricon is seeking Parks Canada’s approval of the ARP, and later, will be looking to the Government of Alberta, Canada Infrastructure Bank, Transport Canada, and other agencies for support and approvals on new transit initiatives, including shuttle systems and Calgary Airport to Banff passenger rail.

The ARP and its appendices for the Banff Railway Lands spans approximately 500 pages of policies, research, and analysis.