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 about $750 million. A bargain compare to other ‘rail’ transit projects being planned.

The same is true on the E&N railway on Vancouver Island or other lightly used rail lines in Metro Vancouver. Passenger service is affordable on existing railways if politicians really cared about regional transportation issues and not rely on multi billion dollar vanity projects announced around election time.

PyrAi??nAi??es line reopens

05 Jul 2016

FRANCE: Celebrations were held on July 1 to mark the reopening of the 24Ai??7 km line between Oloron-Sainte-Marie and Bedous in the foothills of the PyrAi??nAi??es, where passenger services had resumed on June 26.

Taking part in the inauguration were SNCF President Guillaume Pepy, the President of infrastructure manager SNCF RAi??seau Patrick Jeantet, the President of RAi??gion Nouvelle-Aquitaine Alain Rousset, plus the President of Aragon Javier Lamban.

The revival after 36 years of closure is intended to improve access to the VallAi??e dai??i??Aspe and resorts in the PyrAi??nAi??es national park, easing pressure on inadequate roads. It also forms part of the long-planned revival of the former international link from Pau through the Somport tunnel to Canfranc in Spain, from where a Renfe DMU still runs twice daily to Zaragoza. Reopening to Canfranc is now scheduled for 2020, and a rolling motorway route has been proposed to link Bordeaux with Zaragoza.

Work to reopen the Bedous line began in 2014, with the ai??i??102m cost financed by the Aquitaine region (now Aquitaine-Poitou-Charente). The project involved upgrading 31 bridges and seven tunnels, laying new track suitable for 80Ai??km/h running and providing extensive protection against falling rocks. There are three new stations at Bidos on the outskirts of Oloron, Lurbe-Saint-Christau and Bedous, served by six daily trains to and from Pau with a journey time of 67 min for the 60 km. Upgrading between Oloron and Pau had been completed in 2010 following de-electrification.PyrAi??nAi??es line reopens

Comments

One Response to “PyrAi??nAi??es Line Reopens – How About The Same Quality of Servcie to Chilliwack?”
  1. Chris says:

    What is the population served by this route?

    Zwei replies: Very little, by the looks of it. The Southern mountainous boarder region of France is not heavily populated, but evidently there was the demand for train service.

    This is the big mistake we make in BC; it is not density that dictates transit but demand on a transit route.

    For the Vancouver to Chilliwack route, around 15,000 to 20,000 persons a day minimum.

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