Langley to Vancouver In 50 Minutes Via Rail for the Valley
The Capital MetroRail system in Austin Texas uses Stadler GTW diesel electric light rail cars.
TransLink’s and the City of Surrey’s much ballyhooed LRT really doesn’t offer the transit customer very much, except a very inconvenient transfer to the Expo Line and a 39 minute ride (if their are no glitches) on a dinky and crowed SkyTrain car to Vancouver.
The 320 Langley Centre to Surrey Central bus takes 51 minutes to complete its journey; the 395 Langley Centre to Surrey Central Express (limited stop/limited service) takes 40 minutes; the 501 Langley Centre to Surrey Central Station takes 58 minutes; thus a the time for a full transit journey from Langley to Vancouver would take anywhere from almost hour and a half to almost 2 hours, including transfer but not including total commute time.
The Rail for the Valley TramTrain concept could do the trip from Langley (200th Street) to Vancouver Central Station in 50 minutes, including two stops at Braid St. and Willingdon on the West side of the Fraser River and the 10 mph speed restriction on the Fraser River rail bridge.
The Leewood/Rail for the Valley Study time matrix shows that a 23 km. journey from 200th Street in Langley to Scott Road Station, including four stops, would take 22.5 minutes and an estimation of the 22km. trip from Scott Road to Vancouver would take 27.5 minutes – 50 minutes; a full 40 minutes faster than a combined LRT/SkyTrain trip to Vancouver!
The cost, around $400 million for track improvements, signalling and vehicles.
$500 million, certainly looks more affordable than the $2.5 billion Surrey LRT, designed as a poor man’s SkyTrain, especially if one can get to Vancouver faster and in more comfort.
The Stadler GTW light rail car could use city streets and operate as LRT if need be.
I know as a DMU operating as a LRV, the Stadler GTW has some advantages over some DMU’s (because it is very low to the ground) but does the Stadler GTW design have a ramp that will allow for street boarding by people with walking difficulties and the need for wheelchair access? Or will some type modified entry platform be needed? The stated height of the Stadler GTW floor is too high by about 20-30 mm for the Ontarians with disabilities Act (I have no idea about the BC equivalent requirement). Is a internal ramp modification included in the design, if not, is it possible? The DMU’s in Austin required a special raised entry platform. Out of the need for economy they never really looked at an internal ramp design, they just wanted a really cheap off the shelf vehicle. Due to the fact that, right from the beginning the Trillium Line (Originally Ottawa’s O-Train) was forbidden from street running by Transport Canada, both the original vehicle , the Bombardier’s BR643 Talent and the newer Alstom Cordia Lint 41 design, both mainline railway DMU’s, always had high platform, mainline railway passenger loading and so street loading was never going to be an issue. Does the simple phase 1 Rail For The Valley’s proposed Tram-Train right of way include street running sections? If for some reason it turns out that, the Tram-Train can’t use road rights of way, can the Tram-Train still complete its trip without them by using a private right of way or just the existing rail line?
Zwei replies: This isn’t really TramTrain at all, rather it can use existing railway trackage to Vancouver. The light DMU could operate on a short on-street section, but not in mixed traffic.
Th original Leewood plan did not envision any on-street operation, but offered the proposal of on-street in Langley and even Abbotsford in the future.
Not shovel ready by any account, but quite doable if the political will was there to do it.
Certainly $400 million is an affordable venture, hell the new roof at BC Place Stadium cost over $500 million.