Valley light rail all go, twin groups claim

Valley light rail all go, twin groups claim

By Brian Lewis, The Province September 21, 2010

Advocates for reintroducing light-rail transit to the Fraser Valley along the old Inter-Urban route were building up a fresh head of steam on two fronts Monday.

On the first front, Rail for the Valley, a non-profit advocacy group working to establish community rail on the old B.C. Electric tram route from Surrey to Chilliwack, released a comprehensive 84-page report it commissioned from a U.K.-based, rail-transit consulting company.

The company, Leewood Projects, has worked on Phase 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, as well as London Underground projects.

“This report shows there’s a viable business case for community rail here,” says Rail for the Valley spokesman John Vissers. “We can say with certainty this is not a pie-in-the-sky project.”

In the first stage, the study calls for a light-rail system covering the full 98 kilometres from Scott Road in Surrey to Chilliwack, and utilizing two- or three-car articulated diesel/electric train units with a capacity of 120 to 240 passengers. It could be built for about $492 million and, initially, the units would run on diesel.

A second phase would involve overhead electrification of the route. That would add another $115 million and result in a total first-stage expenditure of $607 million.

As well, the study concludes that it’s feasible for such a light rail/interurban service to share the right of way with existing freight operations of CP Rail, the CNR and the Southern Railway of B.C.

Vissers says the “ace in the hole” here is the fact that the Inter Urban track, railbed and right of way are physically in place and owned by B.C. taxpayers, who through B.C. Hydro also have the right to run a passenger rail service on the line in conjunction with its commercial clients.

Meanwhile, on a second front, the South of Fraser Community Task Force was promoting its new 30-minute video Monday.

This is the group founded earlier this year by Township of Langley Mayor Rick Green. It also calls for Fraser Valley community rail service.

In fact, in addition to municipal government representatives from Delta, Surrey, the City of Langley, the township, the City of White Rock and Abbotsford, this group has advocacy group representation from Rail for the Valley, the Fraser Valley Heritage Rail Society, South Fraser On Trax and the Valley Transportation Advisory Committee.

Other task-force members include the valley’s three universities, which would be well-served by the Inter Urban line: Kwantlen Polytechnic, Trinity Western and the University of the Fraser Valley.

The video, Community Rail in the Valley, was produced by Shaw Cablesystems, which is now showing it regularly on its local outlet. It calls for an initial demonstration line that could run from Scott Road to Abbotsford.

“We’re already getting a very good response from the initial broadcasts,” says Green, who chairs the task force. “Putting light rail on the Inter Urban just makes so much sense, because it would run through all the valley’s population bases.”

Both the Rail for the Valley report and the Community Rail Task Force’s video will be shown far and wide this fall throughout the region, and to senior governments.

blewis@theprovince.com

Ai??Ai?? Copyright (c) The Province

via Valley light rail all go, twin groups claim.

Commuter rail service to the Valley is affordable – study – News1130

Commuter rail service to the Valley is affordable – study

Ninety-eight kilometres of light rail service for 500 million dollars

John Streit Sep 22, 2010 02:43:36 AM

7 Comment(s)

1 Recommendation(s)

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Get people out of their cars and into trains! That’s the message from Rail for the Valley, a group hoping for the return of commuter rail service to Chilliwack.

Rail for the Valley says this study shows that the region can build a large rail network cheaply from Scott Road in Surrey to Chilliwack – with affordable future extensions. They say the so-called Tramtrain would cost less than 10 per cent per kilometre than Skytrain technology with 98 kilometres of light rail service for 500 million dollars.

Phase one would involve diesel cars, phase two would be electric – with the rail service sharing track with CN, CP and Southern Rail.

via Commuter rail service to the Valley is affordable – study – News1130.

Abbotsford News – More ammo for light rail service through Valley

More ammo for light rail service through Valley

By Jeff Nagel – BC Local News

Published: September 21, 2010 1:00 PM

Updated: September 21, 2010 6:07 PM

A new Chilliwack-to-Surrey light rail line could whisk passengers from deep in the Fraser Valley to the existing SkyTrain system in 90 minutes, according to a new study commissioned by groups campaigning for the project.

The report, by U.K.-based consultant David Cockle on behalf of Rail For The Valley, estimates an initial service running every 20 to 30 minutes on existing tracks could be launched with diesel-electric trains for $492 million.

It could be later upgraded to a no-emission electric system for a further $115 million.

Cockle called the proposal “very viable” with trains running 80 to 100 km/h between 18 stops along the 98-kilometre route.

The line would fulfill a long-held dream to reinstate a modern version of the B.C. Electric interurban rail service to Chilliwack that was shut down 60 years ago.

“When the Fraser Valley passenger service was suspended in 1950 there were less than 80,000 people living throughout the Valley,” Cockle said. “Today, one million people live in Valley communities, with 1.5 million projected by 2031.”

Rail For The Valley spokesman John Vissers said concerns about air quality, climate change and rising gas prices are fuelling demand for an alternative to driving long distances.

“We can now prove from an engineering and marketing perspective that you can run light rail at speeds comparable to driving your car from community to community across the Fraser Valley,” Vissers said. “We want our train back.”

Neither the province nor TransLink has so far shown much interest in using the historic corridor, both in the past citing concerns transit service could interfere with freight hauling and that other potential rapid transit routes in the Valley might serve more people.

Advocates like Vissers note the price tag is a big advantage compared to building all-new tracks A?ai??i??ai??? especially when stacked against pricier SkyTrain technology.

The study estimates the cost of a phase one startup at just $5 million per kilometre, compared to the almost $130 million per kilometre it will cost to build the $1.4-billion 11-kilometre Evergreen Line to Coquitlam.

They also argue the province’s retention of free passenger rights on the corridor ensures railways cannot simply deny the dream out of concern they might make less money due to slowed freight service.

“BC Hydro wisely retained the rights to passenger service and now we have an opportunity to capitalize on that,” Vissers said.

The proposed route includes 10 main stations and eight more basic tram stops.

The study also contemplates possible spurs connecting Chilliwack to Rosedale as well as Surrey to Richmond and potentially on to Vancouver.

Passing loops would allow freight and passenger trains to pass, but Cockle’s study assumes most freight trains would be required to run at night only.

“You don’t have to do any major track reconstruction,” Rail For the Valley researcher Malcolm Johnston said.

He said there’s potential to use tram-trains that could operate on both the existing rail corridor through the valley plus possible new tram routes within local cities.

That would open up the potential for the same rail cars to turn off and head along King George Boulevard in Surrey someday, or up 200 Street from Langley to Maple Ridge.

“It’s do-able,” Johnston said. “It just takes political will.”

Advocates will plead their case with local cities, TransLink and provincial government officials in the weeks ahead.

Meanwhile, the provincial government continues to keep the lid on the results of its own long-promised strategic review of Fraser Valley transit expansion options, including the existing rail corridor.

A transportation ministry spokesman said the findings could be released this fall.

TransLink previously estimated it would cost at $360 to $700 million to create a passenger rail service as far as Langley on the interurban corridor, although the City of Surrey estimated a shorter route as far as Cloverdale could be launched for as little as $110 million.

Several area mayors are lobbying for light rail rather than SkyTrain technology for any rapid transit extension through Surrey to ensure a broader reach of the service.

A light rail running on tram tracks in Nordhausen, Germany

Proposed stations:

1. Scott Road. (Sky Train connection)

2. Delta – Nordel Way

3. Newton – King George.

4. South Surrey – 152nd Street.

5. Cloverdale – 180th Street.

6. Langley – #10 Road / Kwantlen Polytechnic University (Langley Campus).

7. Abbotsford – McCallum Road.

8. Yarrow / Cultus Lake.

9. Sardis – Knight Road.

10. Chilliwack Station, Yale Road W and Young Road

Additional tram stops:

1. Langley A?ai??i??ai??? 200th Street.

2. Trinity Western University A?ai??i??ai??? Glover Road / Fort Langley

3. Gloucester Estates / Aldergrove.

4. Abbotsford, Essendene Avenue.

5. Abbotsford – Marshall Road / University of the Fraser Valley (Abbotsford Campus)

6. McConnell Road / Abbotsford International Airport.

7. Huntingdon / Sumas U.S.A.

8. Chilliwack – Airport Rd / University of the Fraser Valley (Chilliwack Campus)

Chilliwack to Surrey Interurban Final Report

Ads by Google

via Abbotsford News – More ammo for light rail service through Valley.

Chilliwack Progress – Rail For The Valley puts squeeze on city

Rail For The Valley puts squeeze on city

By Robert Freeman – Chilliwack Progress

Published: July 07, 2010 8:00 AM

Updated: July 07, 2010 9:20 AM

Chilliwack is the only municipality in the Lower Mainland not on board a task force lobbying for a community rail system.

A?ai??i??Ai??For the last three years, Rail For The Valley has been pressing the issue of a passenger rail service that would run from Chilliwack to Surrey,A?ai??i??A? said RFTV spokesman Paul Gieselman.

A?ai??i??Ai??Much progress has been made … however, this has not been a unified movement,A?ai??i??A? he said.

The South of Fraser Community Rail Task Force includes representatives from Delta, Langley and Abbotsford – but not Chilliwack.

A?ai??i??Ai??Chilliwack has been invited, but has not decided to get on board,A?ai??i??A? Gieselman said.

An open house is being held in Chilliwack July 8 to inform the public about the work of the task force, and A?ai??i??Ai??put pressure on the cityA?ai??i??A? to join, he said.

Chilliwack Mayor Sharon Gaetz has balked at committing the city to passenger rail until a transportation study by the provincial government is completed.

She is also concerned about the potential cost of restoring the old Inter-Urban rail line that once ran from Chilliwack to New Westminster.

Just upgrading the 17 or 18 rail crossings could cost $500,000 each, according to an estimate by city staff.

But Gieselman said the mayor is getting hung up on the costs instead of the potential benefits.

The Chilliwack open house starts at 5 p.m. at Evergreen Hall on Corbould Street.

rfreeman@theprogress.com

via Chilliwack Progress – Rail For The Valley puts squeeze on city.

11th Street, Michigan City, Indiana. Chicago, South Shore and South Bend interurban

Surrey Leader – Valley ignored by TransLink

Valley ignored by TransLink

Published: October 19, 2010 4:00 PM

Updated: October 19, 2010 4:31 PM

The recent announcement by TransLink dismissing the Interurban corridor from transit consideration shows the provincial government to be completely out of touch when it comes to meeting the needs of people South of the Fraser River.

Rail For the Valley has never claimed the Interurban corridor should be the only route for light rail through Surrey. Rather, due to the nature of the line, light rail could be implemented quickly and with extreme economy over long distances, thereby establishing an attractive initial base from which a more extensive light rail network could grow.

By dismissing the Interurban corridor, firstly Translink is dismissing outright the needs of thousands of residents of Delta who will not be served by any of the transit extensions TransLink has proposed.

Secondly, TransLink is dismissing Newton, South Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley, communities that will likely have to wait decades for light rail to come. Light rail implementation on the existing Interurban tracks would cost about $5 million/km, according to a recent comprehensive study of the corridor by a respected firm with expertise in light rail. Light rail construction when there is no track available, however, usually costs on the order of $20-30 million/km, or greater than $100 million/km for Skytrain. With the Evergreen Skytrain Line already delayed 20 years due to its cost, one can only guess how long these communities will have to wait.

Thirdly, TransLink is dismissing the people of Abbotsford and Chilliwack, two fast-growing cities in the Fraser Valley that, without the Interurban, will be lucky to get light rail to their communities in the next 40 years. While Abbotsford and Chilliwack are not a part of TransLink, artificial boundaries must never be used to write off regions by an organization created ostensibly to serve the public good.

Fourthly, TransLink is dismissing the taxpayers of British Columbia, who will ultimately be left paying the bill for transit decisions that do not even consider the taxpayer as part of the equation.

TransLink has not listened to the people of the Fraser Valley. Ultimately, the Provincial government directs TransLink and must stand accountable. Citizens of the Fraser Valley must ask themselves, should they continue to support a government that so blatantly ignores their interests?

John Buker

Rail For the Valley

via Surrey Leader – Valley ignored by TransLink.

Peace Arch News – Keep railing for commuter train

Keep railing for commuter train

Published: October 15, 2010 9:00 AM

Updated: October 15, 2010 9:33 AM

Editor:

Re: Light rail would work here, Oct. 8.

Kudos to columnist Frank Bucholtz for raising awareness of a viable alternative to SkyTrain expansion in the Fraser Valley, which is available now A?ai??i??ai??? not 10 to 20 years from now.

Rehabilitation and upgrading of the former BC Electric (interurban) line which still runs from New Westminster through Cloverdale, Langley and Abbotsford to Chilliwack is an idea whose time has come.

As Bucholtz points out, the main impediment appears to be the issue of road-grade crossings, but bridges would be required also for any SkyTrain expansion south of the Fraser River. TransLink and the province should be looking into engineering design and feasibility of rehabilitating the interurban line now, at least for the most urgent section between Langley and New Westminster.

And while weA?ai??i??ai???re at it, what about the BNSF line connecting White Rock and South Surrey with New Westminster? Surely some agreement could be reached with the owners to provide light-rail commuter service during peak hours.

Every year we see more home construction in South Surrey, yet the main means of road access to Vancouver A?ai??i??ai??? the George Massey Tunnel and Alex Fraser Bridge A?ai??i??ai??? are the same now as they were decades ago. We need commuter-train service now!

Chris Hodgson, Surrey

via Peace Arch News – Keep railing for commuter train.

Surrey Leader – Why no light rail?

Why no light rail?

Published: October 14, 2010 1:00 PM

Updated: October 14, 2010 1:45 PM

So Premier Campbell has promised SkyTrain to Langley, but does anyone believe him?

To refresh everyoneA?ai??i??ai???sA?ai??i??ai??? memories, SkyTrain is a proprietary, automatic (driverless) railway that is now owned by Bombardier Inc. First marketed in the late 1970s, what we in the Vancouver Metro region call SkyTrain has gone through at least four official name changes and a complete redesigns, yet only seven such transit systems have been built and now relegated to the niche airport people-mover market.

SkyTrain was even too expensive for the truncated Canada Line subway and a generic metro system was used and is incompatible with the proprietary SkyTrain Advanced Rapid Transit or ART.

Only Vancouver has expanded its SkyTrain ICTS/ALRT/ALM/ART light-metro system and is the only one of four cities in North America having SkyTrain (there is no SkyTrain operation in Europe) to do so.

Why? The answer is simple economics: SkyTrain costs more to build and operate than comparable light rail systems and despite dubious claims by TransLink, SkyTrain has yet to prove that it has a greater capacity than light rail.

The grade crossing argument used by the SkyTrain lobby is a man-of-straw argument as rail/road crossings are more than 10 times safer than road/road intersections. The proposed TramTrain grade crossings will be protected by lights, bells and a gate. Compare this to a typical light-controlled traffic intersection or the cheaper four-way stop intersection. The road/rail intersection is much safer. If a car driver disobeys a road/rail crossing protected by lights, bells and a gate and collides with a TramTrain, should not the car driverA?ai??i??ai???s licence be revoked?

For the premierA?ai??i??ai???s proposed $2-billion SkyTrain line to Langley, we can build a A?ai??i??Ai??full buildA?ai??i??A? (Vancouver/Richmond to Rosedale TramTrain) and a new multi-track Fraser River Rail Bridge and at least two LRT 10-km LRT/streetcar lines in Surrey and Langley.

It seems Premier Campbell is waiting at the station for a SkyTrain that will never come.

Malcolm Johnston

Light Rail Committee

Rail for the Valley

via Surrey Leader – Why no light rail?.

Abbotsford News – RegionA?ai??i??ai???s mayors will be left waiting for SkyTrain

RegionA?ai??i??ai???s mayors will be left waiting for SkyTrain

Published: October 07, 2010 11:00 AM

Updated: October 07, 2010 11:22 AM

0 Comments

On Monday, Rail for the Valley and Leewood Projects (UK) released a historic and revolutionary TramTrain report for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

The TramTrain plan is historic, for it is the first time in over 30 years that a transit study, independent of political and bureaucratic influence has been released to the public, giving an affordable option to TransLinkA?ai??i??ai???s expensive SkyTrain light metro planning.

The TramTrain plan is revolutionary because it gives economic 21st century transit solutions for the region, instead of costly and dated 1950s metro and subway planning.

TramTrain is a reinvention of the interurban and is part of the large light rail family, which sees over 450 such systems in operation around the world. First operated in Karlsruhe Germany in 1993, the new TramTrain proved so successful that ridership on the new TramTrain line (which replaced a commuter train and one transfer) exploded from 533,600 per week to over 2,555,000, (almost 480% increase) in just a few months! Karlsruhe now operates over 410 km of TramTrain, including lines in the environmentally sensitive Black Forest, with the longest route being over 210 km.

As TramTrain is inexpensive to build, TramTrain lines do not need the massive densification needed by SkyTrain and the RAV/Canada Line. TramTrain can pass through sensitive ALR lands, leaving farm lands as they are, and preventing rampant land speculation and development that more expensive transit modes need to sustain them.

The Rail for the Valley/Leewood plan also gives glimpse in the future with the initial line expanding to Vancouver, Richmond and Rosedale.

Why build the 11 km., $1.4 billion plus SkyTrain Evergreen Line, when we can build a full 138 km Vancouver/Richmond to Rosedale TramTrain service for under $1 billion, with enough money left over to build a Vancouver to Maple Ridge TramTrain service, as TransLink planned for in the late 1990s.

Today there are 14 cities with TramTrain operation (only 7 cities have SkyTrain), with a further 20 TramTrain operations being planned for.

One hopes the the regionA?ai??i??ai???s mayors board the TramTrain for better public transit. If not, they will be left behind at the station, waiting for a SkyTrain that will never come.

Malcolm Johnston

Light Rail Committee

via Abbotsford News – RegionA?ai??i??ai???s mayors will be left waiting for SkyTrain.

Chilliwack Progress – Light rail delivers more bang for the buck

Light rail delivers more bang for the buck

Published: October 13, 2010 10:00 AM

Updated: October 13, 2010 10:38 AM

So Premier Campbell has promised SkyTrain to Langley, but does anyone believe him?

To refresh everyoneA?ai??i??ai???s memory, SkyTrain is a proprietary, automatic (driverless) railway that is now owned by Bombardier Inc. First marketed in the late 1970s, what we in the Vancouver METRO region call SkyTrain, has gone through at least four official name changes and a complete redesign, yet only seven such transit systems have been built and now relegated to the niche airport people mover market. SkyTrain was even too expensive for the truncated Canada Line subway and a generic metro system was used and is incompatible with the proprietary SkyTrain Advanced Rapid Transit or ART.

Only Vancouver has expanded it SkyTrain ICTS/ALRT/ALM/ART light-metro system and is the only one of four cities in North America having SkyTrain(there is no SkyTrain operation in Europe) to do so.

Why?

The answer is simple economics; SkyTrain costs more to build and operate than comparable light rail systems and despite dubious claims by TransLink, SkyTrain has yet to prove that it has a greater capacity than light rail!

The grade crossing argument used by the SkyTrain lobby, is a man of straw argument as rail/road crossings are over ten times safer than a road/road intersections. The proposed TramTrain grade crossings will be protected by lights, bells, and a gate. Compare this to a typical light controlled traffic intersection or the cheaper four way stop intersection; the road/rail intersection is much safer. If car driver disobeys a road/rail crossing protected by lights. bells, and a gate and collides with a TramTrain, should not the car drivers license be revoked?

For the PremierA?ai??i??ai???s proposed $2 billion SkyTrain line to Langley, we can build a A?ai??i??Ai??full buildA?ai??i??A? (Vancouver/Richmond to Rosedale TramTrain) and a new multi track Fraser River Rail Bridge and at least two LRT 10 km. LRT/streetcar lines in Surrey and Langley!

It seems Premier Campbell is waiting at the station for a SkyTrain that will never come.

Malcolm Johnston

Light Rail Committee

via Chilliwack Progress – Light rail delivers more bang for the buck.