What if instead of braving traffic on Highway 1 or putting up with the discomforts of travelling by bus, you could take a train to get around the Fraser Valley. It sounds nice, but that is simply not the reality we live in. However, that may change in the near future.
An advocacy group called South Fraser Community RAIL (SFCRAIL), which is championed by Bill Vander Zalm, former B.C. premier; James Taylor, UBC urban design program founder; and Rick Green, former Langley mayor, is petitioning to (re)create a passenger light rail network connecting the various communities of the Fraser Valley from Surrey to Chilliwack and linking them up with metro Vancouver’s Skytrain network. A similar passenger light rail system once operated in the Lower Mainland between 1910 and 1950. Their website claims the new interurban line would be environmentally friendly, cheap to construct, and would be of great benefit to commuters in the region.
I have to admit, their message sounds appealing. Commuting by bus between Chilliwack and Vancouver takes about three hours one way and requires at least three exchanges, although there is talk of extending the 66 bus route to Lougheed Town Centre, which would reduce this. When I can, I much prefer going by the Skytrain than by bus. It is much faster and I never have to worry that my trip will be delayed because one person up the road had an accident. SFCRAIL proposes the use of hydrogen-powered multiple unit trains imported from Germany, so the proposed interurban would look and function much like the Skytrain, but run on the surface.
The kicker of this plan is that it would make use of existing rail infrastructure, thus avoiding the expense and waiting with constructing new tracks as with Translink’s planned Skytrain extension to Langley. A 99 km span of track from the Pattullo Bridge to Chilliwack is already designated for use by passenger traffic at no cost from a 1988 agreement made by the provincial government, according to the SFCRAIL website.
Despite SFCRAIL’s exuberant boosterism and often persuasive arguments, there are a few details they are unclear on, and certain wrinkles they gloss over. Many of the stops along the proposed route currently lack stations, or the existing ones are not equipped to handle passengers, so these at least would have to be built. One map on their website shows proposed stations for Huntingdon/Sumas, Yarrow, and Sardis, but another map omits them. Not only that, but the increased two-way train traffic may necessitate double tracking since much of the route is currently single track, and opportunities for trains to pass each other are few and far between, which could create delays. Canadian Pacific Rail, which owns the track, is obligated to pay for that expense according to the aforementioned 1988 agreement, but it would still take time.
SFCRAIL claims their proposal will service several communities, businesses, and institutions, but many of those claims come with caveats. While Trinity Western University might be lucky enough to get their own station, none of the proposed or likely stops are anywhere near UFV campuses. While individual students and staff at UFV might benefit from this, UFV on the whole will not be affected by the rail system much since lengthy travel by road will still be necessary.
Despite these shaky foundations, I still think that it is an initiative worth supporting, and I want it to succeed. Even if it turns out to be no less expensive and time-consuming to construct than the Skytrain extension, we would still get more bang for the same buck because the new interurban railway would service more communities.
If you would like to hear SFCRAIL’s supporters and judge for yourself, you can do so right here at UFV. They will be holding a public petition in room B101 on Abbotsford campus on Tuesday, June 25 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Other presentations will also be held at the Elements Casino in Cloverdale on Thursday, June 13 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and at Kinsmen Community Centre in Aldergrove on Tuesday, June 18 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Image: Kayt Hine/The Cascade
