TramTrain Line – Alicante Tram-Train, Spain
Rail for the Valley wishes to reinstate the Vancouver to Chilliwack interurban, using TramTrain technology. TramTrain is a development of light rail, where a light rail vehicle has the ability to operate on tram (streetcar); light-rail; and mainline railway tracks. The interurban was the original TramTrain, which has now evolved into the sleek LRV’s now […]
The many faces of tramtrain; how soon will the Fraser Valley see one?
It has been a long established transit maxim, long ignored by TransLink and BC Transit before, “use existing rail routes first“. Why? Because existing rail routes are much cheaper to build and install light rail, rather than going ‘greenfields’ construction.Ai??Ai?? Of course, SkyTrain and RAV are the epitome of ‘greenfields’ construction! The cost to build […]
How other countries see light rail and appraise light rail investments? From the Light Rail Transit Association
Article from the March 1999 edition of Tramways & Urban Transit As anyone involved in a British light rail scheme knows, the appraisal system is rigorous and, many feel, fatally flawed, oriented as it is to short term and financial criteria rather than a properly broad social cost-benefit analysis. It is now also heavily influenced […]
From the BBC – "Drivers ‘distrust’ road tax spend". Will regional mayors ‘here’ impose the auto levy?
And TransLink wants to add more taxes on cars. Local politicians take note. A note added re comment, as the title states, this article comes from the BBC. Motoring taxes have been handled so badly that drivers no longer trust what ministers say the charges pay for, an MPs’ report says. Inconsistency over justification for […]
Debunking the SkyTrain myth part 5. Thirty years of SkyTrain planning – the years that the Locusts hath eaten!
In the late 1970’s, after much study and with regional consensus, Greater Vancouver’s Regional Authority, the GVRD,Ai??Ai??was on the verge of approving three light rail lines; Vancouver to Whalley (via New Westminster); New Westminster to Lougheed Mall and Vancouver to Richmond. Costing $350 million to $460 million. It wasn’t to be. The then Social Credit […]
The little railway that could – From the Globe and Mail
Food for though; has anyone ever thought of buying the old interurban railway? Would the current owner consider selling? Patrick White Darlingford, Man. A?ai??i??ai??? From Wednesday’s Globe and Mail Last updated on Wednesday, Jul. 01, 2009 02:56AM EDT The jangle of crossing bells never sounded so sweet. They echoed across the town green in Darlingford, […]
Tech stuff for the Valley Inturban A?ai??i??ai??? The Indusi Signaling System A?ai??i??ai??? how it works (Part 4)
Speed Supervision (GeschwindigkeitsA?A?berwachung) The Indusi can also be employed to enforce speed restrictions, although it was not originally designed for this matter. The principle of operation is this: A device detects the approach of the train and activates a track magnet (say, a 2000Ai??Ai??Hz magnet). A timer is set, and after a fixed time the […]
Tech stuff for the Valley Inturban – The Indusi Signaling System A?ai??i??ai??? how it works (Part 2)
The Details Here I will describe how the detection of the magnets influences the train. The details vary a little depending on which type of Indusi equipment is used, here I will cover the properties of the PZBAi??Ai??90 for Zugart (train type) “O” (Obere Klasse: Upper class, i.e. fast passenger trains) If any test fails […]
A 2007 Presentation on Valley Rail – by the Light Rail Committee
First, before any discussion about rail transit, including Light Rail Transit, we must define LRT and other transit modes. The following is a brief descriptions of various transit modes advocated as solutions for transit in the region. Commuter rail: Locomotive hauled rail coaches or diesel or electric multiple unit trains, catering specifically to peak hour […]
Electrification Suddenly in Vogue Again
The Transport Politic 18 June 2009 Electrification Suddenly in Vogue Again Canadian, British, American railroad officials fighting to replace diesel locomotives. With efforts to combat climate change ramping up and ridership on public transportation increasing steadily, electrification of main-line rail corridors is in. Yet, though railroads in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. are studying […]
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