Hay River (Mar 31/03) - A Hay River man hopes to see a passenger train pull into town next May.

The occasion would be the 40th anniversary of construction of the rail line north into Hay River.

Glen Pangborn said the idea is to run an excursion train north from Edmonton, with stops at northern Alberta communities including Slave Lake, Peace River and High Level on the way to Hay River.

"This ties in perfectly with the cooperative rail and tourism discussions going on now between the governments of NWT and Alberta," said Pangborn, a long-time rail buff and a GNWT employee at the correctional centre in Hay River.

The excursion train would be mounted by Alberta Prairie Rail, a Stettler company affiliated with Mackenzie Northern Railway, which owns the route.

Paul Delorey, MLA for Hay River North, likes Pangborn's idea and says the timing is ideal.

A major transporation meeting in Hay River two weeks ago brought together railway and government officials from Ottawa, Alberta and NWT.

Mayors from Hay River, Enterprise, High Level and Grand Prairie also attended.

Future business opportunities involving the railway were high on the agenda, with the focus on a Mackenzie Valley pipeline, mining, and tourism.

The meeting was initiated by the GNWT department of transportation.

"One thing that came out was the importance of communities in northern Alberta and NWT working together on developing business opportunies," said Delorey.

"Pipeline readiness is a specific aim because the railway would have to be upgraded. But there are other opportunities there, including tourism."

Invited to make a presentation, Pangborn's idea for an excursion train hit a positive chord, said Delorey.

"It is an excellent project for tourism and Northern promotion, and it is generating some interest."

Pangborn said he has held preliminary talks with CN, CP and Mackenzie Northern to get permission to use their tracks.

"We don't have approval yet, but I don't believe it will be a problem."

Pangborn and other rail buffs in Hay River are currently forming a non-profit society -- the Rail Fans North Historical Society -- to move the idea forward.

He estimates about 75 per cent of the estimated $400,000 excursion project cost will come from ticket sales and hopes to get the rest from government.

The society will make a presentation to the GNWT for funding shortly, he said.

Other problems include the 40 km/h maximum speed limit along much of the Mackenzie Northern route.

With overnight stops in Slave Lake, Peace River and High Level, the trip would take five days, said Pangborn.

"At this point we are planning one-way travel only by rail, with the trip up or back either by air or bus."

If the plan flies, the society hopes to see a 1920s-era steam locomotive used for the excursion.

The 1,046 kilometre Mackenzie Northern line from Smith, Alberta, to Hay River was built by the CN in the 1960s as the Great Slave Lake Railway.

Railink purchased the line in 1997 and renamed it the Mackenzie Northern Railway.

Other than occasional use by excursion trains, the route has been used solely for freight.

Pangborn said if an initial Alberta Prairie Rail excursion is successful next spring, the society will work at making it an annual event.