Rorschach Test

The Zurich tram system. Overview: The tram network serves most city neighbourhoods, and is the backbone of public transport within the city. Open: 1882 Cauge: Metre Number of routes: 15 Route length: 118.7 km (73.8 mi) Owner: Zürich Propulsion system(s): Electric Track length (total): 171.9 km (106.8 mi) Track length (double): 72.9 km (45.3 mi) […]

Taxpayer, Can You Spare Billion Or Two?

Simple question, folks; “Anyone with a spare billion or two to move the railway off the Whiterock/Surrey waterfront? $4.6 billion is the minimum being spent to add 12.8 km to the SkyTrain network and with other cities in the region clamouring for future monies be spent in their cities and municipalities, it is doubtful government […]

Seriously Deluded, Or…….?

Really? Is this the best we can expect from TransLink, deception? Two quotes from TransLink CEO, Kevin Desmond, are very disturbing: Desmond called the Canada Line, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary, a “smart investment”. “But, he said, he hopes the region has learned that lesson, adding that “help is on its way” for the […]

Seattle’s Light metro Abandons $507 Million Tunnel

Seattle’s so called light rail system is in reality a light metro system that uses light rail vehicles. Over 90% of the system is grade separated either in subway or on elevated guide-ways. In the United States, light rail has morphed into light metro and light metro is very expensive when compared to classic light […]

Politicans Just Love Gadgetbahnen

  MAGLEV, the great Philosopher’s Stone for transportation, yet in practice, MAGLEV’s are extremely expensive and today, the high speed train is only slightly slower, much cheaper and far more flexible in operation. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Rumour has it that the Conservative Ontario Government wants to make the Ontario Line a MAGLEV. Politicians love […]

Avignon Tram Opens In France

It seems the French clearly understand the benefits of light rail, well they should, because they have studied both LRT and light-metro (VAL). Like Vancouver’s SkyTrain, VAL was made by MATRA, the famous arms manufacturer and in the 1980’s the general political thought was, if no one used  VAL for transit, it would reflect badly […]

Mott MacDonald To Study Major New Bridge For Vancouver

Interesting news indeed and maybe the proposed bridge will supplant a new tunnel across the Fraser by a few more years. From the Global Construction Review.   News Mott MacDonald to study major new bridge for Vancouver 7 October 2019 | By GCR Staff UK-headquartered engineering consultant Mott MacDonald has been picked to study the […]

Massey Tunnel In The News

(Courtesy Integrity BC) Here we go again department. Once again the Massey Tunnel is in the news and every political hobby-horse is in play! Delta South MLA, farmer Ian Paton, wants the original Liberal inspired 10 lane bridge, which somehow will magically fix gridlock, while at the same time ignoring the fact that there is […]

The Canada Line P-3, A Template for Graft and Corruption in Montreal

As we all should know, the Caisse is the main finical backer of the Canada Line faux P-3 and using the BC Liberal P-3 process as a template, the Caisse is now funding Montreal’s highly controversial REM light metro project. As built, the Canada Line is a dwarf metro system that uses electrical multiple units […]

Osaka – The City of Rugby And Trams

Osaka, a Japanese city famous for rugby and trams. Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd.  (Hankai Denki Kidō Kabushiki Gaisha) is a company which owns two tramway lines in the cities of Osaka and Sakai, Osaka, Japan. The parent company is Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. Osaka prefecture’s last remaining streetcar, known affectionately as “Chin Den,” is […]