VALTAC
Jul 5, 2007, 9:30 PM
INTERURBAN
VATLAC’s third goal is re-establishment of passenger service on the Interurban corridor.
The BC Electric Railway Interuban Line fostered agricultural, residential and industrial growth of the South Fraser Valley
Because settlement focused on the Interurban corridor, many commercial, educational, commercial and recreational facilities are today within walking distance of the line. The rail still exists and carries local freight a few times a day. VALTAC encourages growth of local freight integrated with passenger service
Recent studies demonstrate that Interurban restoration would cost a quarter of similar passenger rail elsewhere in the lower mainland.
Community Rail must be distinguished from Commuter Rail. Studies show that the majority of the Valley Population is headed for destinations within the Valley. Community Rail, dedicated to linking local communities with only an incidental link to SkyTrain, would offer low cost, ground up, grass routes passenger transport which would be the spine of an effective integrated bus / rail system.
When the time for Commuter Rail arrives, the CN Mainline may be a better alignment for an extension of West Coast Express.
The Interurban settled the South Fraser Valley. The line touches a variety of strategic destinations. For example, most employment centres, commercial centres are within walking distance of the line. ALL post secondary education facilities, some 50,000 students are on the line from Newton to Chilliwack.
Passenger rail should serve the Langley regional town centre; the only such centre in the Greater Vancouver Regional district without passenger rail.
The South Fraser Valley area was built along the Interurban line. Passenger service needs to be restored to take advantage of the existing strategic route.
On opening in 1910, the Interurban served a population of 18,000. When rubber replaced rail in 1950, the population of the valley was 77,000. Today, we are over ten times that number at 850,000 and headed for a million souls.. And NO passenger rail. VALTAC wants our train back.
Recent TransLink trip diaries show that only 20% of traffic in the south Farser Valley crosses the river. 80% has origin and destination south of the Fraser River. Approximately 30% of the “moving” population does not have access to private motor vehicles. A Community Rail system supplies the largest demand most effectively.
Comparative rail costs:
TransLink commissioned a study by DRL in 2006 which estimated a cost of converting the Interurban line into COMMUTER rail from the Scott Road SkyTrain station to Langley City at $27 million dollars per kilometre
At the same time Surrey commissioned a study by UMA for COMMUNITY rail between Scott Road SkyTrain Station and Cloverdale. The cost estimate was $6 million dollars per kilometer.
The Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society has determined that simply upgrading the line to carry tourists would cost in the realm of $325,000 per kilometers.
By comparison, a typical light rail installation costs about $35 million per kilometre and the RAV/Canada line has clocked in at a whopping $87 million per kilometre
Because the Interurban line exists, the property is all assembled, the rails are still there, it is a bargain; the cheapest prospect of rail based transit in the Lower Mainland.
It can be upgraded for Tourist use for a third of a million dollars per kilometer.
It can be upgraded as COMMUNITY Rail for six million dollars per kilometer
The DLR study, which added every possible bell and whistle for use as COMMUTER rail, estimated costs less than a third RAV line costs. Whikle we understand that RAV is serving the crème-de-la-crème, how about spending some of our damn money on our side of the Fraser River?
Because the Interurban line exists, implementation of light community rail would be about a third the cost of creating LRT from scratch.
On the most difficult stretch of the Interurban rail, the link between Pratt and Livingstone where heavy rail shares the route from east of Fort Langley to Cloverdale, BC HYDRO has retained passenger rights and the right to assign them. Passenger rail doesn’t pay cost until it reaches 33% of wheelage. CP has already agreed to sharing their rights with passenger service.
Surrey is studying Community Rail and has an active Interurban group, the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society, who are restoring original Interurban cars for heritage tourism operations on the historic line.
Surrey’s Heritage Tourism initiative can be linked between Brownsville and Fort Langley to a River Boat experience with international appeal.
Surrey’s corridor has good catchment population within one modal change
Key destinations are within walking distance of the interurban connection.
A “spine & ribs’ system is the most effective solution to public transportation in the south Fraser Valley
A consortium of the Municipalities, TransLink (or its successor BCSCTA), industry and others could put a system together.
To learn more, visit our website www.valtac.org
email: realizethedream@hotmail.com
VATLAC’s third goal is re-establishment of passenger service on the Interurban corridor.
The BC Electric Railway Interuban Line fostered agricultural, residential and industrial growth of the South Fraser Valley
Because settlement focused on the Interurban corridor, many commercial, educational, commercial and recreational facilities are today within walking distance of the line. The rail still exists and carries local freight a few times a day. VALTAC encourages growth of local freight integrated with passenger service
Recent studies demonstrate that Interurban restoration would cost a quarter of similar passenger rail elsewhere in the lower mainland.
Community Rail must be distinguished from Commuter Rail. Studies show that the majority of the Valley Population is headed for destinations within the Valley. Community Rail, dedicated to linking local communities with only an incidental link to SkyTrain, would offer low cost, ground up, grass routes passenger transport which would be the spine of an effective integrated bus / rail system.
When the time for Commuter Rail arrives, the CN Mainline may be a better alignment for an extension of West Coast Express.
The Interurban settled the South Fraser Valley. The line touches a variety of strategic destinations. For example, most employment centres, commercial centres are within walking distance of the line. ALL post secondary education facilities, some 50,000 students are on the line from Newton to Chilliwack.
Passenger rail should serve the Langley regional town centre; the only such centre in the Greater Vancouver Regional district without passenger rail.
The South Fraser Valley area was built along the Interurban line. Passenger service needs to be restored to take advantage of the existing strategic route.
On opening in 1910, the Interurban served a population of 18,000. When rubber replaced rail in 1950, the population of the valley was 77,000. Today, we are over ten times that number at 850,000 and headed for a million souls.. And NO passenger rail. VALTAC wants our train back.
Recent TransLink trip diaries show that only 20% of traffic in the south Farser Valley crosses the river. 80% has origin and destination south of the Fraser River. Approximately 30% of the “moving” population does not have access to private motor vehicles. A Community Rail system supplies the largest demand most effectively.
Comparative rail costs:
TransLink commissioned a study by DRL in 2006 which estimated a cost of converting the Interurban line into COMMUTER rail from the Scott Road SkyTrain station to Langley City at $27 million dollars per kilometre
At the same time Surrey commissioned a study by UMA for COMMUNITY rail between Scott Road SkyTrain Station and Cloverdale. The cost estimate was $6 million dollars per kilometer.
The Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society has determined that simply upgrading the line to carry tourists would cost in the realm of $325,000 per kilometers.
By comparison, a typical light rail installation costs about $35 million per kilometre and the RAV/Canada line has clocked in at a whopping $87 million per kilometre
Because the Interurban line exists, the property is all assembled, the rails are still there, it is a bargain; the cheapest prospect of rail based transit in the Lower Mainland.
It can be upgraded for Tourist use for a third of a million dollars per kilometer.
It can be upgraded as COMMUNITY Rail for six million dollars per kilometer
The DLR study, which added every possible bell and whistle for use as COMMUTER rail, estimated costs less than a third RAV line costs. Whikle we understand that RAV is serving the crème-de-la-crème, how about spending some of our damn money on our side of the Fraser River?
Because the Interurban line exists, implementation of light community rail would be about a third the cost of creating LRT from scratch.
On the most difficult stretch of the Interurban rail, the link between Pratt and Livingstone where heavy rail shares the route from east of Fort Langley to Cloverdale, BC HYDRO has retained passenger rights and the right to assign them. Passenger rail doesn’t pay cost until it reaches 33% of wheelage. CP has already agreed to sharing their rights with passenger service.
Surrey is studying Community Rail and has an active Interurban group, the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society, who are restoring original Interurban cars for heritage tourism operations on the historic line.
Surrey’s Heritage Tourism initiative can be linked between Brownsville and Fort Langley to a River Boat experience with international appeal.
Surrey’s corridor has good catchment population within one modal change
Key destinations are within walking distance of the interurban connection.
A “spine & ribs’ system is the most effective solution to public transportation in the south Fraser Valley
A consortium of the Municipalities, TransLink (or its successor BCSCTA), industry and others could put a system together.
To learn more, visit our website www.valtac.org
email: realizethedream@hotmail.com
