Few benefits to reopening passenger rail line between Chilliwack and Surrey, TransLink says
TransLink has never pursued the idea of resurrecting passenger rail on a route between Chilliwack and Surrey because of concerns about ridership, cost, routing, travel times and compatibility with regional goals.
It’s a proposal the transit authority has looked at more than once, according to a new staff report that was written in response to calls from the South Fraser Community Rail group to open the 99-kilometre Interurban line to hydrogen-powered passenger trains. The line is currently dedicated to freight; passenger rail last ran there almost 70 years ago.
“The alignment and connections have been studied previously as part of other processes,” the report states. “All previous assessments have resulted in other priorities being advanced.”
According to the report, which was prepared by vice-president of planning and policy Geoff Cross, the Interurban does not connect to the largest centre in the South of Fraser region: Surrey Centre.
Although the line does connect to other centres, such as Cloverdale, Newton and Langley City, ridership is estimated to be one-third of a line connecting Surrey Centre to Langley via Fraser Highway. This means a higher cost per ride.
“Both directness and density are critical factors in the performance of a successful rapid transit corridor,” the report says.
The route is also not direct, resulting in slower travel times between Langley City and Surrey Centre compared to bus rapid transit, at-grade light rail or SkyTrain on Fraser — about an hour versus 25 to 30 minutes.
Freight volumes are also expected to increase along the Interurban corridor, which would require passenger and freight trains to have “physical and time separation for both regulatory and safety reasons.”
The report says reactivating the Interurban would require significant capital to make it safe and reliable, including building a second track. It was estimated that the cost would be slightly lower than constructing rapid transit on an arterial route, “but without commensurate benefits.”
The community group has estimated that rail from Chilliwack to Surrey would cost about $1.2 billion, although the price could be more depending on several factors.
Finally, the report says the Interurban doesn’t meet regional priorities, including delivering high-frequency, high-speed and high-capacity all-day rapid transit between designated town centres.
“The South Fraser Community Rail Interurban proposal is not an alternative or comparable option to rapid transit along Fraser Highway based on the objectives set out in the (10-year) vision,” it states.
The community group is dismissing the report’s conclusions.
“In short, the reports they are quoting are seriously flawed,” said Rick Green, a former Langley Township mayor and founding member of South Fraser Community Rail. “To me and all of our team, TransLink are embarrassing themselves with the material they are producing in support of their decisions.”
Despite the stated drawbacks, TransLink management staff will recommend that the concept be considered during the Transport 2050 process, which is soliciting ideas for how the region’s transit system should be developed over the next 30 years.
A more comprehensive review will likely be brought forward at a future Mayors’ Council meeting.
“We agree with the group’s position that the Fraser Valley municipalities and Metro Vancouver, especially the South of Fraser, will be increasingly integrated in the longer term,” the report states.
Green said he believes the promise to include it in the Transport 2050 process is “lip service” and won’t result in anything happening for decades, if at all.