Interurban back on track

[Hong Kongese]

Group wants interurban back on track

Rail for the Valley seeks municipal support for old-fashioned transit solution


David Hogben, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, October 31, 2008


An Abbotsford group is recommending a light-rail transportation service that would be running in time for the 2010 Olympics.

The Rail for the Valley committee, formed about 18 months ago, will ask Abbotsford council on Monday to support a light-rail demonstration project along the old interurban rail route that once connected New Westminster to Chilliwack.

"Ideally, it could run from Scott Road [SkyTrain station in Surrey] to Chilliwack," Rail for the Valley spokesman John Buker said in an interview Thursday.

Exactly how far the line would run would depend on whether other municipal governments decide to join in. If not, the line would be more modest, Buker said. "It could be a small project from Abbotsford to Chilliwack."

Buker said tracks are still in place on the old interurban electric line, which operated from 1910 to 1950.

Buker envisions the demonstration line as a method of gaining public support for a line which could eventually cross the Fraser River and extend to downtown Vancouver.

Two other projects aimed at showing off light-rail transit by 2010 are already in the works, one in Surrey and one in Vancouver.

Consultant Peter Holt, who has been working with Surrey city officials to restore a service on a section of track in that city, however, thinks the 2010 Winter Games deadline is too tight to complete a service between New Westminster and Chilliwack.

He said Surrey's Heritage Rail demonstration project between Newton and Cloverdale is expected to come into service in 2010, but probably not until after the Feb. 12-28 Olympics.

He said the 11-kilometre stretch could be a tourist attraction. After it is operational, Holt said, the most probable expansion would be from Cloverdale to Langley and from Newton to Scott Road.

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts is supporting light rail over the provincial government's preference, a SkyTrain extension.

"TransLink has estimated the cost of light rail at $27 million per kilometre versus $127 million per kilometre for the Evergreen Line [through northeast Metro Vancouver] and $233 million for the UBC/Broadway Line," states a policy paper on Watts's election website.

In Vancouver, the city has signed an agreement with transportation giant Bombardier to operate a 1.8-kilometre demonstration streetcar line linking the Olympic Village with Granville Island. The line, which will run from Jan. 21 to March 21, 2010, is expected to use borrowed streetcars from the Brussels Transport Co.

Holt said obtaining cars quickly for the lines might be problematic because there is a worldwide shortage of rail cars.

TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said light-rail transit south of the Fraser River is an option for the future, but TransLink now is more interested in expanding the capacity of the West Coast Express north of the river. Eventually that line could cross the Fraser River and reach Chilliwack.

[agrant]

"in time for the 2010 Olympics"

I can't believe how many times I've seen these exact words used for our local projects. What's next? Some random road is slated for paving "in time for the 2010 Olympics". Enough already! There is life after the Olympics folks! It's a two or three week event = very short time in the grand scheme of things.

Anyway, hopefully this gets off the ground.

[SpongeG]

but this would be useful and would be needed to be done in time

people in abbotsford could use it to get to olympic events without a car

[agrant]

Yes, but it's not critical that that happens.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by agrant

"in time for the 2010 Olympics"
I can't believe how many times I've seen these exact words used for our local projects.

That's just a "push" to those who could provide funding. Any fixed deadline/goal is better than "asap". Look at the Evergreen Line.

[agrant]

Originally Posted by officedweller

That's just a "push" to those who could provide funding. Any fixed deadline/goal is better than "asap". Look at the Evergreen Line.

True. Well in this case, you'd think those providing funding would see through that. A rail line of that nature is not vital to the success of the Olympics, especially in it's infancy. I just think it's a phrase that's getting milked to death.

[officedweller]

Definitely - this is project has absolutely nothing to do with the Olympics - its probably the longest grab at a straw that anyone has publicized using the term.

[SpongeG]

well it is but the worlds media will be here and they can showcase it in one of their stories than thus bolstering the project

[officedweller]

From the CTV website:

B.C. eyeing rail service to ease traffic jams
Updated: Thu Nov. 27 2008 13:36:47

The Canadian Press

Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon says the British Columbia government is taking a serious look at commuter rail service to ease traffic troubles on southern Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley.

Falcon says the government is putting up $500,000 to study the feasibility of upgrading the current E&N railway corridor on Vancouver Island to provide freight and passenger service.

In the Fraser Valley, the minister says the government will pay $400,000 for an assessment of transportation needs, including more passenger rail service.

The Opposition New Democrats have been calling on the government to offer commuter rail service to ease traffic congestion to Victoria.

The E&N line currently offers a small daily commuter and tourist run from Victoria to Courtenay.

Falcon says the government plans to meet with Island groups who have been calling for an upgraded rail corridor.

[raggedy13]

^Great news, but sounds like Victoria is a higher priority at the moment so we might have a bit longer to wait.

Out of curiosity, what kind of time periods are involved with implementation of commuter rail versus a rapid transit line? I know it should be significantly shorter but what are we looking at, like a year from the end of the study phase until full operation?

[fever]

It really depends. Ottawa's 8-km line took about three years. Here's the timeline:

Timeline

August 1998. Council of the former regional government directed staff to proceed with the development and implementation of a pilot project for light rail. A year-long study of light rail including an environmental assessment was conducted.

September 1999. City council approved the light rail pilot project and an agreement was negotiated with Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)

2000. Light rail project (Capital Railway) incorporated as a federal railway

2000-2001. Lines and signalling system upgraded and installed plus new stations constructed

January 2001. City took delivery of the trains

April 2001. City began using the CPR lines for testing and training

October 15, 2001. O-Train began operational service

from: http://www.tc.gc.ca/programs/Environ...ailproject.htm

[Jared]

Originally Posted by raggedy13

^Great news, but sounds like Victoria is a higher priority at the moment so we might have a bit longer to wait.

Out of curiosity, what kind of time periods are involved with implementation of commuter rail versus a rapid transit line? I know it should be significantly shorter but what are we looking at, like a year from the end of the study phase until full operation?

Sorting out legal issues (in case of property purchases, rights to use the railway etc.) is anyone's guess, it depends mainly on political will and funding.

In terms of construction, it would probably depend on how much they are going to change/build. Right now, there's a single track on the interurban line. For example, if they double track the whole thing, that will obviously take longer than adding small double track sections at each station, and leaving the rest as a single track.

[The_Henry_Man]

The future interurban (future 2nd WCE line) should be completely double tracked, but I think there are some places where there's really not enough room to put a second track.

[Jared]

Originally Posted by The_Henry_Man

The future interurban (future 2nd WCE line) should be completely double tracked, but I think there are some places where there's really not enough room to put a second track.

there's always room, it just depends on how much you want to spend. you can always buy a couple properties, demolish them and expand the ROW if need be.

[DKaz]

Keep it cheap, that's the key right now. Only double track where required by the engineers designing this project. The beauty with at grade systems is that they can be upgraded over time.