The Canada Line Fizzles In The Snow
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| The $2.5 billion Canada line fizzled today in the 10 cm of snow that fell in the Richmond area. Unlike the SkyTrain proprietary light-metro system, which had a small army of attendants stationed on trains and station platforms to prevent the snow shy SkyTrain from stopping, TransLink seemed unprepared with the weather related problems on the Canada Line.
SkyTrain’s problems in the snow range from snow accumulation on the anti-intrusion strips at stations, setting off alarms, to snow egress into the Linear Induction Motors which hang a mereAi??one centimetreAi??above the reaction rail located between the running rails. The problem with snow shorting out the LIMs have plagued not only Vancouver’s SkyTrain but SkyTrain operations in Toronto Detroit and New York. The RAV/Canada line is a standard subway line, powered by conventional “squirrel cage” style of motors and should not have posed a problem in todays rather light dusting of snow. The claims that snow and ice on the Skybridge over the Fraser River just doesn’t make sense at all as the icy arctic weather has been around for a week and only 10 cm of snow fell. Obviously there is a more serious problem afoot and probably akin to the lost traction problem plaguing the RAV Line in Richmond. What today’s problem as shown is the silliness of TransLink policy forcing all bus customersAi??from South Surrey and South Delta to transfer to the metro, because if the metro goes down, there is no public transit alternative to Vancouver and everyone must use a time consuming and inconvenient bus bridge to cross the river. It is this type of bad planning that makes TransLink unfit to plan for regional transportation. Canada Line update 11/25/2010
It’s been a messy morning on the Canada Line. Trains on that line have been struggling in the snow and ice. The latest from Translink is the Canada Line is still running only as far as Marine Drive station and Bridgeport Station with a bus bridge in-between. That’s because of a weather-related problem with the power rail on the bridge over the Fraser River. The train that had been stuck on the bridge for about an hour was recovered and brought into Bridgeport just before 10:30. A de-icing train has been dispatched: no indication yet when that job will be finished and service across the bridge restored. http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article/148567–canada-line-fails-to-stand-up-to-snow UPDATED at 1:12 p.m.: Canada Line service is running across the Fraser River Bridge again. Service is running normally to YVR-Airport, but is “limited” between Bridgeport and Richmond-Brighouse.Ai?? Jason Chan with Protrans BC, the company that operates the line, says there wasn’t much they could do. “Basically, it’s just snow and ice build-up.” The big problem was on the bridge that runs over the Fraser from Richmond-Brighouse to the Marine Drive station. Chan says they ran trains all night hoping to prevent stoppages like this morning’s, but it was something that was unexpected. Chan promises they’ll be reviewing their policies but has no promises for commuters. “We’re working hard to find a reliable solution to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” However, that might not go far enough for the people who were stuck. One woman tells us, “I’m not impressed. I just don’t know what they would do if we were in Toronto or Montreal… if we had real snow.” Another man says, “This is the first time I’ve taken transit to work. I’m not impressed.” |
