One hundred posts!

Light Rail in Nice France – Could be Langley, Abbotsford or Chilliwack! This marks the 100 post to the Rail For the Valley blog and I hope that for all who read the various postings have found them informative. When John Burker asked me to help with postings for the then new Rail For the […]

The 300 km. solution – An affordable way to reduce gridlock and pollution

For overAi??Ai??two decades the Light Rail Committee has stated that toAi??Ai??have a viable alternative to the car, over 300 km. of light rail must be built in the region, the question of course is, “can we afford it?” The answer is yes! To be successful modern LRT must not just serve major destinations like town […]

Highway 1 Day of Action a Soaking Success

By all accounts! Pictures: Day of Action in pictures on Flickr (feel free to upload yours) I’ve heard over and over again, from people up and down the Valley and in Vancouver, that this was actually a really fun event, & people want to do it again. *If you have a banner that needs storing, […]

Highway 1 Day of Action TOMORROW!

Just one more day… Please get your friends and family out to this important, historic event in the Fraser Valley. It’s simple: Choose an overpass, make some signs, & do your part, Saturday from 11:00am to 1:00pm, to bring passenger rail service back to the Fraser Valley! LIGHT RAIL FANS TO HIT THE HIGHWAY Our […]

10 questions for May’s election – How much of a transit expert are you?

Lisbon tram climbing a 13.8% grade! Ai??Ai?? Here are ten questions toAi??Ai??test the knowledge ofAi??Ai??political candidates about LRT & public transit in May’s provincial election. Passing grade is 70%. 1) What is light rail transit? 2) What is metro? 3) What is capacity? 4) What grade maximum is now industry standard for light rail? 5) […]

April 11 Day of Action UPDATE

LIGHT RAIL FANS TO HIT THE HIGHWAY Banner-making workshops Abbotsford Where: gather at UFV – Abbotsford campus, east lobby of building A, by the Roadrunner Cafe (bottom floor). If you get lost, contact Paul Gieselman at 604-703-3650. When: Tuesday April 7, 7:00 pm Vancouver workshop/party Where: 1825 Charles St (@ Salsbury) When: Thursday April 9, […]

Nordhausen – TramTrains for small towns

Nordhausen is a German cityAi??Ai??at the southern edge of the Harz Ai??Ai??mountains, in the state of Thuringia.Ai??Ai?? Nordhausen’s population is a very modest 44,272 andAi??Ai??with a population density of 421 /kmAi??A?, one would think that the town is just too small for light-rail butAi??Ai??has a metric gauge tramway networkAi??Ai??with 2 lines (7 km long, built […]

Calgary’s C-Train Development & Operating Costs

C-Train’s Development and Operating Costs Total system development costs to date: $548 M Ai??Ai?? Original cost of vehicle acquisition/unit: $1.2 M Ai??Ai?? Current vehicle replacement cost: $3.9 M Ai??Ai?? Total costs of track construction per meter: above ground $30,000 below ground $35,000 at grade $15,000 Ai??Ai?? Average costs per station: $2.1 M Ai??Ai?? Cost of […]

World transit system list as of 2006 – from the LRTA

The following is the number or various type of transit systems around the world including those under construction, excluding airport shuttles, commuter/mainline rail, entertainment parks and funiculars. Classification always brings areas of doubt, particularly in countries such as Japan and Switzerland where clear dividing lines just do not exist. Metro (including SkyTrain) – 146 Light […]

Trondheim – A template for light-rail in the valley? It’s a cert!

Population (2009) Ai??Ai??-Ai??Ai??Total 168,257 Ai??Ai??-Ai??Ai??Density 480/km2Ai??Ai??(1,243.2/sqAi??Ai??mi) Trondheim, Norway boasts the northernmost tramway line in the world: the GrA?A?kallbanen, the last remaining bit of the Trondheim Tramway is an 8.8 km (5.5 mi) route (which is mostly single-track outside the inner most parts of the city; except the stretch between Breidablikk and Nordre Hoem stations) which […]