Subway Costs – Is History Repeating Itself In Vancouver?

Again, words from a professional in the Canadian transit and transportation industry and it is a must read. Not all is what it seems, financially. Haveacow is a professional and uses the avatar because Canada is a small market and most transit schemes are political in nature and politicians can never be wrong and having […]

Life With SNC Lavalin

SNC Lavalin own engineering patents for the MALM (erroneously called SkyTrain) system used on the Expo and Millennium lines. SNC Lavalin leads the consortium operating the Canada line. The BC Liberal government inspired Canada Line (faux) P-3 saw SNC Lavalin, bidding against SNC Lavalin. On May 27th, 2009, after four years of litigation, BC Supreme […]

Smoking Dope In Abby

Really, the mayor of Abbotsford is just another politician which thinks the taxpayer has deep pockets to finance dream projects. Mayor Braun is completely out of touch about regional transit issues and wants someone else to ante up $8 billion for a rapid transit line which in fact will attract not many people. The estimated […]

Canada Line Hype and Hoopla

One wonders why all the hype and hoopla is about with the new cars for the Canada Line? The recently delivered cars are standard ROTEM electrical multiple units, used by several transit systems, unlike the proprietary Movia Automatic Light Metro cars, used on the Expo and Millennium Lines. Also, very explicit is that there are […]

Embarrassment! TransLink Tells SkyTrain Customers To Go Home.

Once again, TransLink demonstrates to all that it can’t operate a popcorn stand, let alone a transit system. TransLink has known since 1986 that the mini-metro performs poorly in the snow, yet they do little or nothing to rectify the situation. At the same time, the bus system is reduced to shambles in snow, yet […]

A Comment Worth Reading – Costs!

The chap who uses the avatar Haveacow is a transit and transportation expert and it is a must, reading his comments; I certainly do! I have been in this game for almost 35 years and the song sung by the SkyTrain lobby never changes. Those defending light metro in Metro Vancouver never deal with costs. […]

Chemnitz Tram-Train Passenger Traffic Doubles

  Chemitz TramTrain, using the Stadler Citylink has more than doubled ridership since operation commenced in 2016 by allowing, as in Karlsruhe, unimpeded service (no transfer) to the city centre by using light rail vehicles that can act both as a mainline EMU’s or as a streetcar. This is the lesson TransIink doggedly refuses to […]

OK Mr. Horgan and Translink, Why not TramTrain?

  It has now been 10 years since Rail for the Valley commissioned the Leewood Study on reestablishing a passenger rail service from Vancouver to Chilliwack and all the public got was invented excuses from all levels of government. Light rail doesn’t work; no one will take it, too circuitous a route; etc., were the […]

Hydrogen Trains Coming To North America

Hydrogen is coming and where is BC? TransLink? Metro Vancouver? Our politicians still want expensive 1960’s transit systems; something to cut ribbons in front of at election time and not providing an affordable transit service. Even in the transit constipated United States, hydrogen (Ballard) powered trains are now becoming a reality. I guess, Mr. Trudeau, […]

Rorschach Test

The Zurich tram system. Overview: The tram network serves most city neighbourhoods, and is the backbone of public transport within the city. Open: 1882 Cauge: Metre Number of routes: 15 Route length: 118.7 km (73.8 mi) Owner: Zürich Propulsion system(s): Electric Track length (total): 171.9 km (106.8 mi) Track length (double): 72.9 km (45.3 mi) […]