The 1945 FRA Standards – Are they Obsolete?

The FRA standards for rail cars in the USA also sets the standards for railcars in Canada and a change in crash worthiness of new cars is big news as it would make the realization of TramTrain much easier. Is it not time to build ‘rail’ transit vehicles for the 21st century and not for […]

First CA?diz tram-train arrives – While the Fraser Valley waits for a train that never comes!

As Fraser Valley mayors twiddle their thumbs and do nothing but invent excuse after excuse for not wanting a passenger rail service in the Fraser Valley, new TramTrain operations continue to expand elsewhere. Our regional mayors are lost in a time capsule, wanting what will not work and ignoring what will. The transit customer, as […]

Now do you beleive Zwei!

Zwei has stated over and over again, one modern tram and tram driver is as efficient as six to eight buses and six to eight bus drivers and for every tram or bus operated one needs a minimum of four people to drive, maintain and manage them. As wages account for 70% or more of […]

For Whom The Toll Tolls

Not surprised at all about this as a similar issue arose in children sports. Last year my child’s sports team saw a dramatic drop in players, from what was about 50 to less than 15. The team manager, upon inquiries, soon found the answer. Because of the new toll on the Port Mann Bridge, was […]

PyrAi??nAi??es Line Reopens – How About The Same Quality of Servcie to Chilliwack?

Interesting news from France. The cost to reopen this 25 km line, which was derelict for thirty-six years, was ai??i??102 million or CAD $146.5 million or put another way the cost to do the same with the former Vancouver to Chilliwack interurban line, which is still functioning for S.R.R. of B.C. freight traffic would be […]

Metro Vancouver Rejectes Massey Tunnel Replacement Bridge

Bakken oil and thermal coal unit trains from the American mid west are the big driver for the Massey Tunnel replacement. As expected. The real reason for the bridge is, of course nothing to do with the safety issues with the tunnel, rather Fraser Surrey Docks want to bring Panama Max. tankers and colliers to […]

Letters from Rail for the Valley folk

Two letters from people who support, Rail for the Valley and improving transit South of the Fraser Users and taxpayers lose with regional transit plan Delta Optimist June 29, 2016 Editor: The recent $740 million photo-op with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his protAi??gAi?? for the next federal election, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, and B.C.’s premier, […]

TransLink Vindictive & Incompetent? You Decide

Almost same thing happened to my wife who forgot her Compass Card at work only it cost her a big fine. Hell of a way to keep your customer base. User friendly, TransLink is most definitely not. The student had a valid U-Pass, TransLink get over it; there are over 130,000 issued this year. It […]

The Costly White Elephant In The Room

While Vancouver mayor Pines for a SkyTrain subway under Broadway and Trudeau the Younger smiles at the cameras with promises of transit manna from heaven, no one is addressing the real subway issue: costs! It is now estimated that the Millennium Line subway extension to Arbutus will now cost $3 billion or slightly higher, if […]

The German Transportation Fiasco

If one thinks German transit and transportation is a panacea, think again, as the countries transit infrastructure is beset with costly maintenance issues, the major one being under-funding. We see the same on this side of the pond, with aging transit infrastructure in need of major maintenance, especially in Vancouver. From the Guardian…. Why German […]