Last of the Interurbans #5 – Europe’s Coastal Interurban – The 68 km. De Lijn Tramway, Connecting Small Belgium Coastal Towns

The De Lijn or Coastal Tram offers a an unique journey, with the North Sea on one side and large tracts of open country on the other, offers a true interurban journey, connecting Belgium coastal towns from the French to Dutch boarders. The largest city the Coastal Tram passes through is Oostende, population 70,000 with […]

Getting Valley rail on track – From the Abby News

More positive news from the Fraser Valley Press. Getting Valley rail on track Published: October 28, 2009 2:00 PM A regular train service arrives in downtown Abbotsford from Surrey and Langley, collecting passengers and transporting them to other areas of the city or as far east as Chilliwack. It may sound like a long-term dream […]

Getting Valley rail on track – the South of the Fraser Rail Task Force

An article in the Abbotsford News about the South of the Fraser Rail Task Force, headed by Langley Township Mayor Rick Green. Letters to the Editor of the Abbotsford News are strongly encouraged! (Email newsroom@abbynews.com) Excerpt: A regular train service arrives in downtown Abbotsford from Surrey and Langley, collecting passengers and transporting them to other […]

STRASBOURG – Beautiful City – Beautiful Trams

The French city of Strasbourg (Ai??Ai??populationAi??Ai?? 276,867Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??in 2006),Ai??Ai??which its historic city centre was classified a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988, decided in the early 1990’s toAi??Ai??build a modern tramway system,Ai??Ai??using theAi??Ai??innovative and attractiveAi??Ai??ADTranz Eurotram rolling stock .Ai??Ai??In 1994 Line A opened, with a north-southAi??Ai??route running from Hautpierre-Maillon (north-west) to the city center (where […]

Tram on Tires – Guided Light Transit (GLT), the ultimate BRT

Guided Light Transit or GLT is a hybrid bus/tram system, where rubber tired vehicles are guided by a single rail and the TransLohr GLT falls into this category. It has been long realized that for a bus to obtain higher performances to compete against LRT, it must be guided. The Achilles heel of BRT in […]

From the Vancouver Sun – Metro Vancouver mayors vote for an extra $130-million for TransLink. As Barnum Observed, There Is a Sucker Born Every Minute.

Metro mayors caved in to TransLink’s slick propaganda campaign, to bad because TransLink and the provincial government will forever treat municipal politicians as mindless patsies. It was time to draw a line in the sand, but regional politicians just didn’t have the stomach for it and continue to be just tax and spend politicians who […]

CargoTram – Taking Commercial Trucks Off the Road. Is TransLink planning for the future? Can TransLink plan for the future?

What local transit planners have not done in the Vancouver regionAi??Ai??is take into account the versatility of modern light rail with their strategic planning and always plan for LRT as a poorman’s SkyTrain. In many cities, trams pull small trailers to carry bicycles or specialized cars toAi??Ai??carry rubbish from refuse bins along the line, adding […]

From U-Tube – Trams Of Karlsruhe, Germany. Finest in the world?

An interesting video on Karlsruhe’s tram system, including their famous TramTrain, which can operate as a streetcar, a light railway or a commuter train! It’s worth a watch. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzFgSOTUVPM]

From the Vancouver Province – Inter-Urban exhibit sparks debate – ‘B.C. Electric Railway: More Than Just a Tram’ an example of light-rail transit

It seems that the momentum for the return of the Fraser Valley Interurban is gaining strength. If we can get the consensus of Valley mayors to support the return of the interurban, the next big hurdle is to take on the SkyTrain/light-metro lobby, because they desperately do not want much cheaper light rail operating any […]

From the Vancouver Sun: "Olympic traffic plan could leave a lasting legacy — but it will depend on us". NOT

The editors at the Vancouver Sun have never grasped the realities of the many transit issues in Vancouver, let alone the challenges of the ‘Olympic‘ road closures. The problem in METRO Vancouver is that transit planners have always seized the latest “flavour of the month” in transit operationAi??Ai??from light-metro to GLTAi??Ai??and revenue gathering such as […]