BC Transportation Minister, Rob Fleming, Must Resign!

Zwei has real issues from the following two statements from BC Transportation Minister Rob Fleming. . “In fact, what they analyzed was the superiority of high-frequency bus service, both from a capacity point of view – to move people out of their cars as the member wished for – and also to give flexibility in […]

The $400 million Per Killometre SkyTrain To Newton – Really?

Zwei has a simple question: Where is the funding? With the cost of the Expo Line extension to Langley, exceeding the last estimate of $3.95 billion; the Broadway subway completion to UBC now exceeding $5 billion; and of course that pesky $3 billion rehab to the Expo and millennium Lines that TransLink refuses to acknowledge […]

A New Low For Reporting In The BC Media

Zwei gets a lot of Emails and this caught my attention. Slow-pitched questions and the continued referring that the tunnel is a mistake, the entire show seemed like an infomercial for the BC Liberals. Why all the angst for the tunnel and why do the Liberals still want a bridge? The answer probably is that […]

OK…….Is It Now Time for TramTrain?

What is TramTrain? A TramTrain is a type of light rail vehicle that meets the standards of a light rail system (usually an urban street running tramway), but which also meets national mainline standards permitting operation alongside mainline trains. Straight forward isn’t it, or is it? Then, was the interurban an early form of TramTrain? […]

A Slow Train to The Future

Something that is badly needed in BC and Canada, regional railways. Local pundits have called for faster and faster rail transit, with some even advocating for high speed rail (HST) for the Fraser Valley as the only way to get people out of their cars. Today, with gas topping $2.00 a litre is another way […]

Six operators award joint contract for up to 504 tram-trains

This is big news and certainly shows the European confidence in TramTrain. The cost per car is somewhat steep (CAD $9.85 million) but it includes 16 years (and up to 32 years) of maintenance. This means the operators would be saved the cost of a mid life rehab! Also this highlights the advantages of group […]

Is Ottawa Getting a Tramway?

Traffic calming major streets and having a tramway or streetcar operate on the route is standard practice in Europe, so why not here? Politics aside, a modern tramway in Ottawa would, I believe, catch on with other major Canadian cities for providing an affordable quality public transit service. With “Global Warming” and associated climate change, […]

The Mayor’s Council’s Delusions Of Grandeur in 2050 – Where Is The money?

One has to just laugh at this tawdry attempt pre civic election spin for the regional transit system. It also highlights the media’s lack of investigative reporting, as they treat dreamy news releases as “breaking news”. The following quote exemplifies the Mayor’s Council’s delusions: Among the improvements and goals, the plan includes additional projects to […]

Another Abandoned UK Passenger Line Is Set to Reopen – Why Not The E&N?

Another long a long abandonment of passenger services, the once called Ivanhoe line is set to reopen for passenger service. The Leicester–Burton upon Trent line is a freight-only railway line in England linking the Midland Main Line south of Leicester to the Cross Country Route at Burton-on-Trent. The line closed to passengers in the 1960s. […]

A Memo For John Horgan

The Honourable John Horgan, Premier of BC * Dear Premier Horgan, * The Covid-19 pandemic has made absolutely clear, we cannot go back to normal, as it has forever changed how people behave. Covid-19 is a prelude for great change in BC.  * Last summer’s heat dome and subsequent wild fires shows we cannot go […]