From the Vancouver Province blog – SkyTrain track replacements to slow service east of Edmonds on weekends

The SkyTrain light-metro system has always been hard on the rails, which is surprising for the system is non-adhesion, with cars propelled by electro magnetic force. Parts of the line has seen track renewals much earlier and the curve West from Main St./Science World has had the track renewed several times. One wonders if track is being replaced , not because itAi??Ai??has becomeAi??Ai??worn out, rather,Ai??Ai??wear has reduced the height of the rail, making it impossible to maintain the critical 1 cm air-gap between the Linear Induction Motor and the reaction rail. As the railhead wears down, the closer the LIM is to the reaction rail and even 5 mm of rail wear would cause serious problems.

If this is the case, premature track renewals on SkyTrain is another added cost to an already expensive transit mode.

Track renewal is costly and it seems, despite what the blog entry says,this not the first time the entire Expo Line track has been replaced.

SkyTrain track replacements to slow service east of Edmonds on weekends

By Joseph Ruttle Thu, Nov 5 2009

TransLink is warning weekend SkyTrain users of delays during track replacements in November.

Riders travelling east of Edmonds station should add 10 to 15 minutes to their trip plans, because B.C. Rapid Transit Co. is doing rail replacements all weekend on Nov. 7-8, Nov. 14-15 and Nov. 21-22.

The work will go on from end of service Fridays until start of service Monday morning.

While work is under way, trains between 22nd St. and New Westminster stations will be running on a single track in alternating directions and both Expo and Millennium lines will be on reduced frequency. Attendants will be on hand to help direct commuters.

The rails being updated have been in place since original construction in 1985.

 

Prendergast says Adios to Translink and Bails – Could it be TransLink is sinking faster than the Titanic? Are the Rats Leaving a Doomed Ship?

It seems TransLink’s most recent and newly hired CEO Tom Prendergast has bailed and no wonder, regional mayors offered a royal raspberry forAi??Ai??his request for massive funding. Prendergast is no fool, he knows that by building metros such as the Evergreen Line on routes that do not have the ridership to sustain them will lead, has lead, TransLink into financial peril.

Now, Translink’s trustedAi??Ai??tax and spend bureaucrat, Ian Jarvis is at the helm, no doubt looking for an evenAi??Ai??larger financial iceberg to crash the good ship TransLink into!

When all is done, there will be no financial lifeboat for the taxpayer.

From the Georgia Straight

TransLink president Tom Prendergast heads to New York City

By Travis Lupick

This morning (November 5), news broke that TransLink president Tom Prendergast will resign from his position as head of the regional transportation body and take a job in the United States, as president of New York CityA?ai??i??ai???s public-transit system.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the largest public transportation system in North America, so the move is a big step up for Prendergast, and likely a highly lucrative one.

But PrendergastA?ai??i??ai???who joined TransLink in July 2008A?ai??i??ai???does not have a spotless record working in British Columbia.

TransLink is currently in need of an additional $260 million a year just to maintain current service levels.

In recent years, TransLink has also come under scrutiny for allegedly placing land developersA?ai??i??ai??? concerns over those of public transit users.

And while construction of the Canada Line was approved long before Prendergast took the reins of TransLink, under his tenure, costs continued to balloon, Cambie Street merchants closed their doors one after another, and there remained serious questions about whether or not the Canada LineA?ai??i??ai???s projected ridership numbers will ever be able to financially sustain the rapid transit line.

In addition, as any frequent user of Metro VancouverA?ai??i??ai???s buses will tell you, pass-ups are a greater problem than ever before.

With these issues in mind, I was curious about why the MTAA?ai??i??ai???which is essentially at the top of the public transit game in North AmericaA?ai??i??ai???decided to bring Prendergast onboard to run MTA New York City Transit.

I put in an interview request for MTA chair and chief executive officer Jay H. Walder, hoping to hear him explain the decision. The request was denied, and the media release below was supplied to the Straight in lieu of any real information.

Note that not a single accomplishment related to PrendergastA?ai??i??ai???s time at TransLink is mentioned. HereA?ai??i??ai???s the release.

For Release
IMMEDIATE

MTA Names Thomas F. Prendergast
As President of MTA New York City Transit
Former Head of Subways and LIRR Returns to NY
After Leading VancouverA?ai??i??ai???s Transit System

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman and CEO Jay H. Walder today announced the appointment of Thomas F. Prendergast as President of MTA New York City Transit (NYCT). Prendergast joins NYCT from Vancouver, where he is the CEO of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority, known as TransLink. A world-renowned transit expert, Prendergast is no stranger to the MTA, previously serving as President of MTA Long Island Rail Road and Senior Vice President of Subways at NYCT. Prendergast will assume his new role on December 1. He replaces Howard H. Roberts, who resigned yesterday.

A?ai??i??Ai??Tom is a leader who brings an extraordinary variety of experiences from around the world to a system that he already knows extremely well,A?ai??i??A? said Walder. A?ai??i??Ai??TomA?ai??i??ai???s work running one of the most technologically sophisticated systems in Vancouver will be invaluable as we take the MTA to the next level in performance and customer service.A?ai??i??A?

Prendergast, 57, brings more than 30 years of transportation experience to NYCT. He began his career at the Chicago Transit Authority and worked at the Federal Transit Administration before joining NYCT in 1982. He rose through the ranks, eventually running the subway system from 1990 to 1994. He then served as President of MTA Long Island Rail Road from 1994 to 2000. He joined TransLink in July 2008 after working in the private sector for eight years. During his time in the private sector, Prendergast worked in the engineering and construction management consultation sector and was directly involved in the delivery of transportation infrastructure and construction projects.

A?ai??i??Ai??It is a tremendous honor to return home to lead the outstanding men and women who run one of the worldA?ai??i??ai???s great transit systems,A?ai??i??A? said Prendergast. A?ai??i??Ai??I look forward to working with Jay Walder to implement the customer service improvements that New Yorkers deserve. Running New York City Transit is one of the great challenges and honors in the profession, and I will bring all of my energy and passion to the job.A?ai??i??A?

Prendergast holds a B.S. in Socio-Technological Systems Engineering from the University of Illinois and is a graduate of the Harvard Program for State and Local Government Executives.

# # #

Aaron Donovan
Deputy Press Secretary
Metropolitan Transportation Authority

http://www.straight.com/article-269243/translink-president-tom-prendergast-heads-new-york-city

From the Vancouver Province

TransLink’s Prendergast couldn’t say no to New York job offer

By Frank Luba – November 5, 2009 12:02 PM

CEO Tom Prendergast is leaving TransLink because he got an offer he couldnA?ai??i??ai???t refuse.

The Lower Mainland transportation authority made a surprise announcement Thursday that the New Jersey native is leaving the job he took in July of last year to become president of the New York City Transit Authority, which runs North AmericaA?ai??i??ai???s largest subway and bus system.

A?ai??i??Ai??Leaving TransLink is difficult because this is a great organization with great people and potential,A?ai??i??A? said Prendergast in a statement released before he met with the media Thursday afternoon.

A?ai??i??Ai??I came here because VancouverA?ai??i??ai???s transportation system is already the envy of many global transportation experts and there is so much potential to build out the system to foster livability and the economic and environmental sustainability of the region,A?ai??i??A? he said.

A?ai??i??Ai??But at the end of the day, for me, being asked to run New YorkA?ai??i??ai???s transit authority is like being asked to play in Yankee Stadium: You just donA?ai??i??ai???t say no.A?ai??i??A?

Prendergast came to TransLink from New York firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, where he was part of a leadership team responsible for $1 billion in projects in North and South America. He had previously led a bid team for a contract with the London Underground but, more importantly, had also been with the New York Transit Authority as president of the Long Island Railroad and senior vice-president for subways.

He was attempting to steer TransLink through a troubled time where there was not enough money to do all the projects the public wanted.

In fact, a looming deficit of $150 million annually beginning in 2012 was only recently addressed when the regionA?ai??i??ai???s mayors voted to maintain current service levels by raising $130 million more in revenue every year.

But that status quo will be expensive for Lower Mainland residents as they will pay higher fares and more gas taxes.

Yet to be released, however, is the comptroller-generalA?ai??i??ai???s review of TransLink and B.C. Ferries operations. That report undoubtedly examined TransLinkA?ai??i??ai???s management and Prendergast, whose salary was announced as $325,000 when he was hired.

Research for the report was completed in September but the report didnA?ai??i??ai???t make its way to the Finance and Transportation ministries until last week.

Transportation Minister Shirley Bond said Wednesday in the legislature that the release of the report is A?ai??i??Ai??imminentA?ai??i??A? and, when pressed, acknowledged that meant it would be made public before Nov. 26 when the current legislative session ends.

Replacing Prendergast on an interim basis will be Ian Jarvis, TransLinkA?ai??i??ai???s chief financial officer.

Jarvis participated in the creation of TransLink a decade ago and previously served as chief financial officer of the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

Dale Parker, chairman of the professional board that runs TransLink, praised the outgoing CEO.

A?ai??i??Ai??The fact that Tom is being recruited to serve as president of the New York City Transit Authority is a testament to the great skills and experience he brought to TransLink during his tenure,A?ai??i??A? said Parker. A?ai??i??Ai??We are sad to see him go, but wish him well as he returns to his roots in New York.A?ai??i??A?

http://www.theprovince.com/business/TransLink+Prendergast+couldn+York+offer/2188596/story.html

From the Georgia Straight- TransLink jacks up ad spending in Canwest papers

The article by Charlie Smith poses three very important questions:

1) If TransLink is broke, has the organization has claimed, how do they justify spending such vast sums of money on advertising?

2) Does the money spent on advertising, come from bus and transit operations?

3) Is advertising money an attempt to influence media and the media’s reporting on transit issues?

TransLink jacks up ad spending in Canwest papers

By Charlie Smith – October 29, 2009

TransLink may have fallen on hard times financially, but that hasnA?ai??i??ai???t stopped it from pumping huge sums of money into large publishing companies this year.

Canwest Global Communications Corp. newspapers received $527,913.68 in advertising revenue from the regional transportation authority in the first eight months of this year, according to data supplied in response to a Georgia Straight freedom-of-information request. ThatA?ai??i??ai???s more than double last yearA?ai??i??ai???s figure of $236,764.89, and four times TransLinkA?ai??i??ai???s purchase of $131,516.77 in advertising in Canwest newspapers in 2007. Approximately 52 percent of the ad spending with Canwest this year went to its daily papers, with the rest going to the companyA?ai??i??ai???s community papers. The Vancouver Courier was the largest recipient among the Canwest community papers, collecting $78,685.90.

Meanwhile, Black Press, which is owned by Victoria publisher David Black, generated more advertising revenue from TransLink in the first eight months of 2009A?ai??i??ai???$255,186.39A?ai??i??ai???than it did in all of 2006, 2007, and 2008 combined ($209,985.31). More than $200,000 of TransLinkA?ai??i??ai???s expenditures this year went to Black Press community papers that serve the outer suburbs of Surrey, Delta, White Rock, Langley, Maple Ridge, and Pitt Meadows. The largest recipient in the Black Press chain was the SurreyA?ai??i??ai???North Delta Leader, which collected $80,452.81.

The commuter paper Metro generated the highest billings among free daily newspapers this year, collecting $45,789.38 from January 1 to August 31. Its rival, 24 hours, was far behind, with $2,720 in advertising revenue from TransLink. The regional transportation authority didnA?ai??i??ai???t place any advertisements in the Georgia Straight, Xtra! West, or the Globe and Mail in the first eight months of 2009.

TransLink spent $920,790.31 on print advertising in the first eight months of 2009. Of that, 57 percent went to Canwest-owned newspapers; 28 percent went to Black Press; and 10 percent went to ethnic papers.

Earlier this year, the Straight reported that the City of Vancouver spent 78 percent of its print advertising dollars in Canwest papers between January 1 and July 23, 2009

http://www.straight.com/article-266490/translink-jacks-ad-spending-canwest

A Fact Sheet From the Light Rapid Transit Forum

It is interesting to note that TransLink has never claimed any modal shift from car to transit and one would well guess thatAi??Ai??TransLink’s bureaucratsAi??Ai??would beAi??Ai??extremely envious of the modal shift numbers published here.

A question for Premier Campbell: “Has the RAV/Canada line taken your predicted 200,000 car trips off the road per day?”

Has anyone actually switched from car to transit because of RAV/Canada line or as predicted, the almost $3 billion metro just given bus riders a more inconvenient, longerAi??Ai??and expensive trip?

Facts

Transport for London figures show that London’s trams (Croydon Tramlink) only emit 46 per cent of the CO2 per passenger km of a bus and only 85 per cent of that emitted by London Underground operations. The full figures are (CO2 emissions in grams per passenger km in 2005/06) in reverse order: 47 for Croydon Tramlink, 55 for London Underground, 75 for Docklands Light Railway, 103 for Buses, 124 for Buses and 711 for Dial-a-Ride (Fig. 4, p 31, TfL Environmental Report 2006).

DfT figures show that in the last 10 years, the number of passenger journeys made by light rail has increased by 123 per cent from 73 million in 1995-96 to 162 million in 2005-06.

Since NET (Nottingham Express Transit) Line One opened in March 2004, it has achieved over 8.4m passengers in the first year of operation and 9.7m in the second.

Public transport usage in the NET corridor is up by 20% in the peak periodsAi??Ai?? road congestion has been reduced by as much as 9%.

30% of NET tram passengers have directly transferred from car or use park and ride.

Light rail has a proven ability to attract motorists out of cars – car use has dropped by nearly 19% in Croydon, south London, since the tram scheme began operations in 2000.

Significant modal shift – between 20% and 40% – from the private car has occurred in cities where LRT has been introduced.

22 million car trips a year have been taken off the roads by light rail schemes in the UK.

There has been a 52% increase in patronage on UK light rail schemes since 1999 according to the Department for Transport.

DfT statistics show that overall traffic levels have increased by over 80% and car traffic levels have increased by more than 85% since 1980.

A survey, carried out in 14 European cities, which has conducted research on the effectiveness of light rail on modal split, showed that on average 11% of the new passengers formerly came by car (Hass-Klau, C. et al, 2003, Bus or Light Rail: Making the Right Choice)

In 2002/03 Manchester Metrolink carried 18.8 million passengers. Metrolink’s research suggested that about 2 million car journeys had been taken off the road each year, equivalent to 10% of total car journeys along the Metrolink corridor.

In Karlsruhe, Germany, the Karlsruhe-Bretten integrated public transport system saw a 600% increase in public transport patronage, 40% of passengers were former car users and only 25% of the light rail users were previous Deutsche Bahn rail users (PTEG, 2005, What Light Rail can do for cities, Appendices, Steer Davies Gleeve).

In Renne, the proportion of people coming into the city by public transport rose from 35% to 50% following the introduction of the metro. Looking only at the metro corridor this percentage rises even further to 60%, demonstrating a reduction in car usage.

The Croydon light rail scheme has encouraged an excess of Ai??A?2 billion in inward investment into the area, including two major retail schemes (Ai??A?1.5 billion), an arena and office development, a rebuilt and redeveloped major concert hall, two multi screen cinema complexes with bars/restaurants and sports club facilities, industrial warehouse/retail development, office development and housing development.

A particularly under privileged area of Croydon has seen a 35% reduction in joblessness since the light rail scheme was launched.

Since the Tramway was built, residential property prices in Croydon have increased by 14% more in those areas close to the tram.

http://www.lrtf.org.uk/facts.php

In The U.K. – First Ai??A?1,000 (CAD $1,760.00) rail fare revealed – From The Independant

And the privatization of British Rail, was to bring in a new era of competition and cheaper fares – not!

First Ai??A?1,000 (CAD $1,760.00) rail fare revealed

By Peter Woodman, Press Association

Tuesday, 3 November 2009

The rise in the cost of train tickets has led to the first Ai??A?1,000 rail fare, it was revealed today.

The fare – of Ai??A?1,002 – is for a turn-up-and-go, first-class return from Newquay in Cornwall to the Kyle of Lochalsh in the Scottish Highlands.

Unearthed in a survey of fares by rail expert Barry Doe, the Cornwall to Scotland return trip would cover around 1,700 miles, with tickets able to be bought from the CrossCountry train company. Mr Doe’s research, highlighted in the London Evening Standard, also showed that some standard-class, turn-up-and go return faresAi??Ai??have risen 100 per cent in price since the mid-1990s.

A London-to-Manchester return, for example, has gone up from Ai??A?33 in 1995 to Ai??A?66.10 now, while a London-to-New Castle Upon TyneAi??Ai??return has risen 84 per cent to Ai??A?105.

Cat Hobbs, public transport campaigner for the Campaign for Better Transport, said today: “The NewquayAi??Ai??Ai??A?1,000 fare shows just how pricey and complicated the fare structure is. “We think fares in this country are far too expensive. They are the most expensive in Europe. We think the Government should step in and review how they regulate fares.”

Under an annual inflation rate price formula, regulated fares (which include season tickets) will actually go down in January as retail price index inflation is in negative territory.

But Ms Hobbs said today that the Government should not take any credit for this dip inAi??Ai??as it was merely a result of the recession.Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??She went on: “Our fear is that the train companies will put up unregulated fares (which include many off-peak tickets) to compensate for the dip in regulated fare income.

“The Government should not let the train companies take all the flak for this. It’s up to the Government to change the system.”

A spokesman for CrossCountry said: “No-one has actually bought this Ai??A?1,000 fare but it does exist. Someone wanting a first-class return would be likely to book a saver return in advance and pay Ai??A?561.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/first-pound1000-rail-fare-revealed-1813896.html

From the Guardian.co.uk

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/03/first-1000-pound-train-fare

Rail For The Valley Needs Your Help – Information Needed Please

Rail for the Valley has been asked to find some answers for a railway enthusiast overseas.

First, he would like to get some information on the wheel profiles of CP & Southern Railway diesel locoA?ai??i??ai???s, e.g:

1. GMDD GP/SD40
2. GMDD SD70/75
3. GMDD GP33
4. GMDD NF210
5. GE Dash 8/9
6. MLW RSDA?ai??i??ai???s

Secondly, he would like:

1. Any information that you might be able to point me towards on existing switch/point/turnout configuration design on the Southern Railway.
2. Switch rail type
3. Crossing Flangeway gap dimension
4. Switch Opening dimension
5. Flange Tip running?
6. Switch/turnout mechanisms/point motors
7. Switch detection system?

Can anyone help with his requests?

Last of the Interurbans #5 – Europe’s Coastal Interurban – The 68 km. De Lijn Tramway, Connecting Small Belgium Coastal Towns

The De Lijn or Coastal Tram offers a an unique journey, with the North Sea on one side and large tracts of open country on the other, offers a true interurban journey, connecting Belgium coastal towns from the French to Dutch boarders. The largest city the Coastal Tram passes through is Oostende, population 70,000 with a population density of only 1830 persons per/kmAi??A?, based on a city size of 37.72 kmAi??A?! With much of the trams journeys between townsAi??Ai??with open country on one side and the sea on the other, the De Lijn tramway should put and end to any debate here, that the proposed Fraser Valley Interurban doesn’t have the population density to support it to operate successfully.

The Belgian Coast Tram is a public transport service connecting the cities and towns between De Panne near the French border and Knokke-Heist near the Dutch border. It is the longest tram line in the world, as well as one of the few interurban tramways in the world to remain in operation. The line is built at metre gauge and fully electrified at 600 V d.c..

The service makes 70 stops along the 68 km long line, with a tram running every ten minutes during the peak summer months, during which it is used by over 3 million passengers. The service has recently been made more accessible through the addition of low-floor centre sections to existing vehicles, and the introduction of some new HermeLijn low-floor trams.

Most of the trams have a driving position only at one end and access doors on one side. Thus they have to be turned on a loop (Dutch:keerlus) in order to reverse direction. The newer ones are conventionally laid out with two driving positions and doors on both sides.

An interesting feature is the two alternative routes that exist around either end of the Leopoldkanaal locks just east of Zeebrugge, and the similar single track diversion around the inland end of the Boudewijnkanaal lock. This avoids delays to the tram schedule when the road bridge that the tram line normally follows is raised for boats passing under it. A similar feature exists at the southern end of Oostende station around the lock entrance to the Vlotdok.

The Borkum Kleinbahn & Inselbahn Langeoog – from U-Tube

Borkum’s steam train in 2008.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE1ZlxehgEM]

The Inselbahn Langeoog – note containers.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxofuN45CZA]

Getting Valley rail on track – From the Abby News

More positive news from the Fraser Valley Press.

Getting Valley rail on track

Published: October 28, 2009 2:00 PM

A regular train service arrives in downtown Abbotsford from Surrey and Langley, collecting passengers and transporting them to other areas of the city or as far east as Chilliwack.

It may sound like a long-term dream for rail enthusiasts, but according to a newly formed group pushing for the service, it could become a reality sooner rather than later.

The South of the Fraser Rail Task Force is currently looking for the backing of Valley municipalities in its push for rail connectivity.

Should that happen, it wants to see a A?ai??i??Ai??demonstration projectA?ai??i??A? conducted on the old interurban line, to determine whether the track is a viable long-term option to help link communities.

The group has been put together by Langley Township Mayor Rick Green, and task force member Peter Holt was in Abbotsford on Monday to pitch the groupA?ai??i??ai???s case to mayor and council.

Holt said trains would start at Scott Road in Surrey and wind through the Valley to Chilliwack. They would cross various parts of Surrey, Langley, Gloucester Estates at the Langley and Abbotsford border, through Abbotsford towards Sumas (via the University of the Fraser Valley), and then across to Yarrow and Chilliwack.

A?ai??i??Ai??This will be a new mode of transit south of the Fraser, joining our own communities and not the communities into Vancouver,A?ai??i??A? he said. A?ai??i??Ai??The good thing is that we are sitting on billions of dollars worth of assets.A?ai??i??A?

A similar pitch is being made by the group to other communities, and has also been put to the Fraser Valley Regional District.

It is an initiative well-worth pursuing, according to local rail enthusiast John Vissers, who is also involved with the group.

A?ai??i??Ai??We believe the political will and the community desire is there A?ai??i??ai??? thatA?ai??i??ai???s been demonstrated over and over again,A?ai??i??A? Vissers told The News, describing Abbotsford as a A?ai??i??Ai??hubA?ai??i??A? for light rail in the Fraser Valley.

A?ai??i??Ai??We have a local bus system, but we have no way for people to get from community to community without buying expensive cars.A?ai??i??A?

The interurban line between Abbotsford and Chilliwack is currently only used twice a day by freight trains. Visser said that because the line is taxpayer-owned, public trains are allowed to use it 33 per cent of the time.

A?ai??i??Ai??ThereA?ai??i??ai???s a cost involved, but it would create a culture that at the moment does not exist,A?ai??i??A? he said. A?ai??i??Ai??I think its a no-brainer. ItA?ai??i??ai???s something thatA?ai??i??ai???s long overdue.A?ai??i??A?

Abbotsord Coun. Lynne Harris believes the community to be A?ai??i??Ai??supportiveA?ai??i??A? of a rail network that connects Abbotsford to nearby cities.

A?ai??i??Ai??These are tough economic times, but thereA?ai??i??ai???s infrastructure already there and that makes it potentially doable.A?ai??i??A?

Costs from $200M to $700M

While there is no study that estimates specific costs for the Interurban route between Surrey and Chilliwack, research commissioned by the City of Surrey in 2007 found that a basic Surrey to Langley service would cost approximately $200 million ($6 million per kilometre).

A similar TransLink study, which called for a more A?ai??i??Ai??deluxeA?ai??i??A? level of service between the two cities, puts costs closer to $700 million ($27 million per kilometre).

Ray Mufford, a director with the Valley Transportation Advisory Committee which is pushing for the interurban l ine, estimated that a basic half-hourly train service A?ai??i??ai??? running approximately 60 kilometres from Surrey to Chilliwack A?ai??i??ai??? would cost approximately $600 million.

That would include all track upgrades, he said, as well as trains, work at existing crossings, and new train stations.

Light rail proponents argue those numbers are just a fraction of what it costs to expand SkyTrain routes.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/news/67041542.html

The German East Frisian Islands Railways – Interurbans all the same.

The small German East Frisian Islands of Borkum, Langeoog,Ai??Ai??Wangeroog, and SpiekeroogAi??Ai??all operate narrow guage railways to help service tourist destinations on the almost car free ecologically sensitive islands. Even though the trains operated are steamAi??Ai??or diesel hauled, they preform the function of an interurban,Ai??Ai??conveying passengers fromAi??Ai??ferry piers to the main villages. Having rail transport means that auto traffic on island roadsAi??Ai??roads are kept to the bare minimum or not at all, preserving the idyllic nature of the islands.

The Friesian island railwaysAi??Ai??do provide aAi??Ai??small lesson for Rail to the Valley as the proposed Fraser Valley Interurban will not only function as an alternative to the car for valley residents, but convey tourists from downtown Vancouver, up through the Fraser Valley with a transit mode that hasn’t been available in 60 years.

BORKUM

Borkum is bordered to the west by the Westereems strait (which forms the border with the Netherlands), to the east by the Osterems strait, to the north by the North Sea, and to the south by the Wadden Sea. It is the largest and westernmost of the East Frisian Islands in the North Sea, due north of the Dutch province of Groningen.

The island is partially car-free. Off-season, driving by car is permitted everywhere, otherwise there are car-free zones. The only town on the island is also called Borkum. Passengers get a free train ride between the harbour and the town of Borkum.

LANGEOOG

Langeoog is one of the seven inhabited East Frisian Islands at the edge of the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea in the southern North Sea, located between Baltrum Island (west), and Spiekeroog (east). It is also a municipality in the district of Wittmund in Lower Saxony, Germany. The main ferry termainal and town are connected by a short railway.

WANGEROOGE

Wangerooge is the eastern most and smallest of the inhabited East Frisian islands in this group (according to some other measurements, Baltrum is the smallest) and the only one that belonged to the historical district of Oldenburg between 1815 and 1947, whereas Borkum, Juist, Norderney, Baltrum, Langerooge and Spiekerooge always belonged to the county of Ostfriesland. As of the census of 2004, the island has 1,055 inhabitants. Especially in summer the island accommodates more than 7,000 visitors a day.

In order to guarantee recreation, cars are prohibited on the island. The island can be reached by ship from Harlesiel, or it can be reached by plane from Harlesiel, Bremen, or Hamburg. The ferries leave at different times every day according to the tide. As on most East Frisian Islands, a small narrow gauge railway line, the Wangerooge Island Railway, connects the harbor to the main village.

The single track Wangerooge Island Railway (Wangerooger Inselbahn) is an unelectrified narrow gauge railway with a rail gauge of 1,000 mm located on the East Frisian island of Wangerooge off the northwestern coast of Germany. It is the most important means of transport on the island and is the only narrow gauge railway operated today by the Deutsche Bahn.

Ai??Ai??SPIEKEROOG

Spiekeroog is one of the smaller of the East Frisian Islands, off the North Sea coast of Germany. It is situated between Langeoog to its west, and Wangerooge to its east. The island belongs to the municipality of the district of Wittmund, in Lower Saxony in Germany. The only village on the island is also called Spiekeroog.

There is a quaint diesel rail service on the island and from April to September (depending on holiday times), a horse-driven railway operates between the old railway station and Westend.