Adios Bombardier. Adios Movia Automatic Light Metro (SkyTrain)?

As predicted, Alstom is now buying Bombardier Transportation for CAD $10 billion. The question, which may worry Translink and the hapless Mayor’s Council on Transit is: “Will Alstom keep MALM (SkyTrain) production or abandon the proprietary light metro altogether? Will Alstom keep already expensive replacement parts available or discontinue production altogether?” I reached out for [...]

Political Duplicity – The NDP Insults The Fraser Valley!

I just shake my head. Premier Horgan’s Chief of Staff, ex Vision(less) Vancouver Councillor and notorious Broadway subway promoter is the last person to discuss “rail” transit for the Fraser Valley. A West Coast Express commuter rail train with limited service will not work, nor will a prohibitively expensive rapid transit link. Rail for the [...]

Linked Trips Please! What is Translink Afraid Of?

TransLink is trying to save face with recent acknowledgement that the Canada line is under built. What TransLink does not tell you is that over 80% of the Canada line’s ridership, is forced to transfer from bus to metro at Bridgeport Station. All Richmond, South Delta and South Surrey bus customers bound for downtown Vancouver [...]

Slowly They “Get It”

It is slowly beginning to dawn on people that SkyTrain will not be coming to their community anytime soon. It is also dawning on people that what we call SkyTrain is just much too expensive to build, that it can only can be built in small drips and drabs, 12 km to 20 km per [...]

The Master Agreement Allowing Passenger Service On The Interurban Line

For those who are interested in reinstating a passenger servcie on the former BC Electric interurban line from Vancouver to Chilliwack, this is essential reading. Highlights: “The Railway Operations Easement Area shall encompass the Tracks and an area sufficient to enable C.P. Rail to double track, construction of such double track to be at the [...]

Subway Costs – Is History Repeating Itself In Vancouver?

Again, words from a professional in the Canadian transit and transportation industry and it is a must read. Not all is what it seems, financially. Haveacow is a professional and uses the avatar because Canada is a small market and most transit schemes are political in nature and politicians can never be wrong and having [...]

The Great Broadway Subway Grift Continues!

One has to shake one’s head as the Broadway subway lobby desperately tries to have their way. Reality is just not in their lexicon, as the city of Vancouver, UBC and several First Nations, all involved with land development along the route, are now lobbying for funding. I would like to ask: Where is the [...]

CBC Is Anti Tram – Why Am I Not Surprised At CBC’s “Yellow Journalism”

The CBC has aired, what can only be said, an ill informed program on streetcars. Why am I not surprised, as the CBC folded like a cheap deck chair and started singing hosannas about Montreal’s ill advised REM Light metro. The CBC, cheap shots on streetcars, by someone who hasn’t a clue about the modern [...]

Life With SNC Lavalin

SNC Lavalin own engineering patents for the MALM (erroneously called SkyTrain) system used on the Expo and Millennium lines. SNC Lavalin leads the consortium operating the Canada line. The BC Liberal government inspired Canada Line (faux) P-3 saw SNC Lavalin, bidding against SNC Lavalin. On May 27th, 2009, after four years of litigation, BC Supreme [...]

It’s So Simple, The Expo and Millennium Lines Operate Movia Automatic Light Metro Not SkyTrain

Bombardier’s SkyTrain, a rubber tired people mover system. Originally posted March 19, 2019. So many politicians and members of the media still keep referring SkyTrain as a transit product. It is not, it is the name of Metro Vancouver’s regional light-metro system which comprises of a conventional railway, the Canada Line and an unconventional, proprietary [...]