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Councillors plan to current the thought this week on the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference.
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Langley Township goals to revive a railway that might convey passengers between Chilliwack and Surrey in simply 90 minutes.
It plans to current the thought to politicians on the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference this week.
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Councillor Tim Baillie put forth the movement in late June, saying he needs to see the hydrogen-powered rail automobiles again in motion throughout his lifetime.
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“If I’m going to spend an hour and a half in visitors coming from Chilliwack to Surrey, which may be very simply completed these days, I’d slightly do this sitting on a practice and capable of perhaps have a cup of tea and skim.”
The movement drew unanimous assist from the Township mayor and council.
The proposal has lengthy been a hope of a former premier, Invoice Vander Zalm, and former Township mayor, Rick Inexperienced – each of whom have pushed for a provincially backed job drive to enhance transportation choices for the South of the Fraser area.
“We really feel very strongly that will probably be an actual financial increase to the area, the place there’s at the moment no plan to supply mass transit,” Inexperienced mentioned. “There may be one highway out and in of the Fraser Valley – Freeway One – and its widening is not going to be accomplished till 2034.”
Baillie mentioned the movement will push the provincial authorities to contemplate the mass transit possibility extra critically.
“I’m bored with watching the north aspect of the river… you’ve bought a gondola going up the north aspect of SFU (in Burnaby) earlier than we get any respectable transportation that connects the south aspect.”
Inexperienced’s South Fraser Neighborhood Rail group estimates reviving the interurban railway – which was constructed within the early 1900s – would value about $1.2 billion, a price ticket that might creep increased relying on quite a lot of components.
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The 99-kilometre rail line would have roughly a dozen stops via the Fraser Valley, together with Chilliwack’s Yarrow and Sardis communities, Abbotsford’s Sumas space, Langley’s Fort Langley village and Surrey’s Newton, with trains operating 16 hours per day.
Coun. Michael Pratt mentioned he needs to see transit that serves cities not reached by the proposed 16-kilometre enlargement of TransLink’s SkyTrain, from Langley to Surrey. The challenge is estimated to value $4 billion.
“SkyTrain is a superb know-how for these individuals who truly reside in shut proximity to the road or a straightforward transit to a station, however for these 1000’s of us in Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Delta, we don’t get the identical advantages,” Pratt mentioned.
“Something that has the prospect to get extra Township residents shifting and relieve our horrible visitors congestion is price learning.”
Nonetheless, TransLink is skeptical of the South Fraser Neighborhood Rail proposal.
A 2019 report issued by the transit authority claims the railway wouldn’t present service via high-density neighbourhoods equivalent to Langley’s Willoughby, Walnut Grove, Murrayville, or Aldergrove. A lot of the road in Langley programs via rural areas.
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Commute time alongside the route would even be slower than these travelling by automobile or on the in-the-works SkyTrain, which TransLink estimates will take riders lower than 25 minutes to go from Langley Centre to Surrey Central Station. It’s to be operational someday in 2028.
“Aggressive journey occasions are vital to transit investments, as they’re a most important think about efficiently attracting ridership,” learn TransLink’s report.
The interurban hall was used for passenger trains till 1950 when it turned a freight line. To this present day, it’s used to hold cargo throughout parts of the route, which is owned and operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The annual UBCM convention is scheduled from Sept. 18 to 22.
sgrochowski@postmedia.com
Advantages of reopening Interurban line ‘inadequate’: TransLink report
Surrey-Langley SkyTrain: Full steam forward as B.C. authorities formally approves $3.94-billion challenge
TransLink mayors grapple with the way to pay for $20 billion enlargement plan
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