New Rail Traffic for the Interurban Line?

With empty BNSF trains using the SRR of BC Line, to return to the USA via Huntington/Sumas, the antiquated CPR/SR of BC junction at Clayburn should be modernized and improved. A definite benefit for a Vancouver to Chilliwack TramTrain service. It looks like the Southern Railway of BC, is to carry empty coal trains from […]

Arbutus corridor told to remove any property on CP land

Just for the record, BC Electric not only ran interurbans on the Arbutus Corridor to Richmond, they also ran inteurbans to New Westminster via the line along the North of the Fraser River. In Theory, the CPR could do the same. One doubts that the CPR would even contemplate operating some sort of passenger rail […]

An Investigation Into the Economic Impacts on Cities of Investment In Light Rail.

A very interesting study from the UK and well worth a read. Light Rail can be very good to the economy, especially for adjacent merchants along the line which stores become a billboard for transit customers. Modern LRT is also has many non-user benefits to the community and if designed right contributes to the social […]

The Penny Dreadful – The Transit Referendum Saga

The ongoing saga of the Mayor’s Council, TransLink, the Province, and the referendum reads like a ‘Penny Dreadful’. The province has no money, the metro mayors have no money, yet the metro mayors have approved a hugely expensive Vancouver centric rapid transit plan focused on a $2 to $3 billion truncated extension of the Millennium […]

From June 20, 2013 – Road pricing

A repost from June 20, 2012. The song remains the same! Force TransLink to efficiently and affordably operate the transit system – No. Force the taxpayer to ante up more money through road pricing (another name for a tax) – Yes. The following 1983 quote is from Norman Thompson; CBE, FCA, ACMA, English transit consultant […]

The Whalley, King George, White Rock Light Rail line Revisited – Again

  It has has been three years year since I entertained the idea f the Whalley – King George – White Rock LRT Line and in 2014 the WKW Line is still superior to what TransLink is planning for Surrey. TransLink’s LRT plans for Surrey are three ai???poormanai??i??sai??? SkyTrain type designed light rail lines feeding […]

Metro Vancouver Sleepwalks Into a Financial and Transportation Disaster.

There is so much wrong with this announcement that it boggles the mind, but it is suffice to say, this plan will not go anywhere. Let’s look at the basics of this announcement. A SkyTrain subway to Arbutus has nothing to do about transit ridership, it has everything to do about property development and ensuring […]

A Railway Crossing That Means Business

In Russia, to cope with the problems of motorists jumping railway signals on express train routes, the following device is used. The rest is self explanatory. Rail for the Valley take note!

Light Rail Stops Attracts new Business

This interesting study from down South. The myth makers who favour SkyTrain make much how SkyTrain attracts new development, yet that development has been allowed by city councils, who have allowed for higher densities, read higher buildings) at SkyTrain stations. At the same time the inference is that LRT does not attract development. The study […]

Gridlock Is Endemic In Vancouver and Will Be For Years To Come

Nothing new here. As the provincial government keeps building new highways and bridges, car use will increase, simple. As the provincial government, the City of Vancouver, TransLink, and Metro Vancouver, keep planning for and building hugely expensive mini-metro’s like SkyTrain and the Canada Line, for strictly political prestige and not as a convenient transit mode, […]