Why we built with LRT – first published in December 2008, updated August 17, 2009

The following was first published in December 2008 and is being reproduced here because of popular demand. Ai??Ai?? What is Light Rail Transit or more commonly known as LRT? According to the Light Rail Transit Association (www.lrta.org) Light rail is a mode that can deal economically with traffic flows of between 2,000 and 20,000 passengers […]

From Charlie Smith & The Georgia Straight – Canada Line subsidy will be felt for years to come

Charlie Smith of the Georgia Straight is probably the regions best reporter on transit issues as he has researched SkyTrain and all other transit issues for almost two decades and his insight to RAV andAi??Ai??SkyTrain issues clearly demonstrate this. What is not mentioned is that RAV will drain money away from the bus system, simply […]

Kassel, Germany invests in tram train. Will Gordon Campbell’s government do the same for the valley?

Ai??Ai?? What Zweisystem would like readers to note is the the cost of the 122km or 75.8 mile Kassel Tram-Train projectAi??Ai??was CAD $278.55! The same amount of money will roughly buy just over 2 km. of SkyTrain! 75.8 miles is roughly the same distance of the Vancouver to Chilliwack Interurban. The following is from Railway […]

More European Tram-Trains – Rail for the Valley offers a challange to Translink and BC Transportation Minister Shirely Bond

In 1994, the GVRD, in an attempt to include the public in the planning process, held a two hour call-in about regional transit, on local cable channels.Ai??Ai??A panel of experts were on hand to answer the publics questions about transit issues, including rapid transit. Zweisystem phoned in and asked a question: Has BC Transit and/or […]

L.A. Times Columnist: American trains and transit will always suck. – Well if US trains & transit suck, god help Canada’s trains & transit!

The following is from The Infrastructurist http://www.infrastructurist.com/about/ Ai?? YesterdayA?ai??i??ai???s dispatch from LA Times business writer David Lazarus has a great lede: A?ai??i??Ai??ItA?ai??i??ai???s hard to appreciate how truly pitiful our public transportation system is until you spend some time with a system that works.A?ai??i??A? Many of us know that feeling. Then he gushes about the consistently […]

Alstom’s Regio CITADIS – A TramTrain for the Fraser Valley?

Not only does Bombardier make TramTrains, France’s Alstom now has several variants of the Regio Citadis TramTrain operating on several transit systems in Europe. It would be nice for residents in the Fraser Valley to see a demonstration of the Regio Citadis operating from Vancouver to Chilliwack in the near future! Regio CITADIS, Connecting suburban […]

From the Georgia Straight – Professor calls Port Mann Bridge a "white elephant"

The director of SFUA?ai??i??ai???s urban studies program, Anthony Perl, has claimed that a new Port Mann Bridge will become the A?ai??i??Ai??Mirabel AirportA?ai??i??A? of Metro Vancouver. In a phone interview with the Straight, Perl said the B.C. government is building the bridge for a future that wonA?ai??i??ai???t exist, just as Mirabel was built in the 1970s […]

Rail for the Valley TramTrain – Arhus aims to pioneer Danish tram-train: Denmark’s second-largest city is planning the country’s first tram-train project. – From bNet

Here is another example for Rail to the Valley of TramTrain beingAi??Ai??planned forAi??Ai??in Europe. The theme is all too familiar, designing a transit system to cater to the needs of the customer, using existing railway infrastructure to reduce cost, while at the same time increasing service. The theme of TransLink is simple, we are going […]

European cities introduce new tram-train technology – From the European Urban Knowledge Network

It seems that almost every country in Europe today, is investing in TramTrain and the reason is obvious, it’s much cheaper than building stand alone rapid transit lines. It is time TransLink to change course from very expensiveAi??Ai??heavy-rail metro construction to very much cheaper light rail and decrease their time line for SkyTrain to Langley […]

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 […]