Banff Alberta - The feasibility of reinstating passenger rail between Calgary and Lake Louise hasn't gone off the rails.
 
In fact, the Town of Banff has reached out to Canmore, Lake Louise, Cochrane, and Calgary to see if there's an interest in working together to obtain funding for a study to examine reinstating regular passenger rail on the existing tracks between Calgary and Lake Louise.
 
Officials say a meeting has been scheduled for 3 Feb 2016 with various municipalities.
 
"For us, William Cornelius Van Horne seemed like he had the right idea when passenger rail started tourism in Western Canada," said Adrian Field, the Town of Banff's point man on long-term transportation initiatives.
 
"Tourism to this area is growing and we are looking at the concept of regional rail as a sustainable transportation alternative to private vehicles. The return of passenger rail would also be a visitor experience."
 
If tourist service resumes in the long-term, train stops could include Calgary, Cochrane, Canmore, Banff, and Lake Louise.
 
Passenger train service to Banff ended in the early 1980s.
 
The Town of Banff believes reinstating passenger rail on the existing tracks would provide sustainable transportation options for the region, improve safety on the Trans-Canada Highway, and provide opportunities for economic growth through tourism.
 
For Banff's part, tourism continues to grow every year to 3.6 million visitors last year, and the number of private vehicles coming to the national park townsite is increasing as a result, with about 5.5 million vehicles coming in and out of town last year.
 
"We have a finite road capacity and our road system is full," said Field.
 
"At the same time, tourism is growing."
 
Field said Banff has learned visitors and residents use alternative means of transportation when they are provided.
 
He points to doubling of the Roam transit service on Sulphur Mountain, which led to a 29 percent increase in ridership, as well as the successful regional Roam service, now up to 9,000 riders a month compared to 3,000 when the Banff-Canmore service first started.
 
Field also said the Legacy Trail, initially built for a few hundred cyclists who were using the busy Trans-Canada Highway between Banff and Canmore, has been an amazing success story with approximately 100,000 riders last year.
 
"When we provide better things, people use them more," he said.
 
At the same time, the Town of Banff last year hired an independent consultant to study long-term solutions to Banff's parking and traffic troubles, including the feasibility of a cable-propelled aerial gondola.
 
The transportation study also includes a comparative analysis of other options, including building new roads linked to an additional vehicle bridge across the Bow River, and expansion of the existing road alignment up Sulphur Mountain for transit lanes.
 
"We are always wanting to be looking at the big picture on transportation," said Field.
 
Cathy Ellis.