6 October 2004 Alberta Ponders High-Speed Rail Link Edmonton - A high-speed rail link between Edmonton and Calgary with one-way tickets costing less than $50 is feasible because of rapid population and economic growth in Alberta, says a new study by a transportation group.   The Alberta government cost-shared the $600,000 study by the Van Horne Institute, which reviewed new rail technology and included a poll to find out if Albertans would use the new rail service and how much they would be willing to pay.   "We saw the highest percentage of uptake at $48.50," Teresa Watts, project manager for the Calgary-based institute, said Wednesday.   But she predicted people would be willing to pay more once they saw the high-speed train taking less than two hours between the downtowns of both cities.   The study lays out two options:  build two new sets of track on an existing CP Rail freight corridor at an estimate cost of $1.7 billion; or lay track on a new corridor at roughly double the cost.   Using the CP corridor would have a significant impact on Alberta's rural road system because of the construction of at least 30 rail overpasses and the closure of 70 rural roads where they intersected with the line.   "Any minor roads would be closed and the right-of-way would be fenced. That's the model that's used in Europe," said Doug Welsh, CP Rail's executive director of strategic development.   The two-year study concluded that rapid population and economic growth has made a high-speed rail link cost-effective. The stretch between Edmonton and Calgary, which includes Red Deer, is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.   "This marketplace now has a critical mass to support a private-sector operated high-speed rail line," said Lecia Stewart, Bombardier's vice-president of high-speed rail. "We do think it's the next wave."   Bombardier is vying to supply its new JetTrain in Alberta.   The preliminary study was immediately embraced by Economic Development Minister Mark Norris, who said he plans to ask for a review by business leaders with the Alberta Economic Development Authority.   "We've talked about the Calgary-Edmonton corridor as an economic tiger of Western Canada," said Norris. "Anything that joins those nodes, whether it's planes, trains or automobiles... that's why we're involved."   Norris and Watts were both hesitant, however, to talk about how much taxpayer money would be required if the project were to go ahead on a proposed schedule that would have trains running within six years.   The minister also rejected any suggestion that the rail announcement was linked to a forthcoming Alberta election.   "That it came out now and that there may very well be an election in November is coincidental," said Norris. "This is meant to look at problems we've been hearing an awful lot about from industry.   "If this has any merit, and we don't know if it does, how do we move it ahead?"   But Alberta's Opposition Liberals expressed skepticism about the announcement's timing.   "It's coming forward immediately before an election when oil is at $50 a barrel," said Liberal Leader Kevin Taft. "I'm not dismissing the idea out of hand, but it's got to go slowly."