By Train From St. Gallen to Geneva

The fastest trains from St. Gallen to Geneva take around 3 hours and 49 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 280 kilometres. One third of the population (3 million) of Switzerland lives within 5 kilometers of the main train line crossing the country.

Something to think about.

A Marpole to Chilliwack passenger service, either light rail or a light DMU service would certainly see living up to 5 km of the line, very desirable. Cloverdale, Langley, Abbotsford, Sardis/Vedder and Chilliwack residents would find reasonable travel times to various local city centres, post secondary campuses and business parks.

A recent reconnoiter of the former interurban line, from surrey to Chilliwack sees much new residential development along the line but ill served by a user-friendly transit alternative

A Marpole terminus would give give valley residents an almost direct service to YVR and downtown Vancouver. A good incentive to take the train instead of fighting traffic and endemic gridlock in Metro Vancouver.

The very same is true for Vancouver Island and the E&N Railway, where established population centres, created by the railway, would ensure a well patronized service from Victoria to Courtney.

In an age of global warming and climate change, both passenger services would be a popular addition for those who wish not to or cannot drive. The term “no-brainier” would be applicable here.

It is time our politcans and the planning bureaucracy actually plan past “20 minutes into the future” and plan for generations to come.

The current round of pre-election vague promises for more SkyTrain, abetted by incompetent planning, anti-car tirades and ‘puff’ stories in the media are growing tiresome. The provincial and Federal governments uses the “Carbon Tax” as a revenue generator and has nothing to do with climate change.

One only has to look at the St. Gallen – Geneva mainline to see how rail transit works and how government properly spend tax monies. It is time to copy success instead of our hackneyed doing the same thing over and over again, ever hoping for different results.