Image courtesy of Stephen Rees
It’s warming to see every news outlet in Vancouver finally in celebratory spirit over the opening of the Canada Line. After 4-years of whining and complaining we can finally just enjoy the new rapid transit route. But some of us will be keeping a close eye on how the Canada Line performs as this is not just another SkyTrain.
Canada Line != SkyTrain
Most of the public seems to consider the Canada Line as another SkyTrain route. It’s another mix-grade, ALRT system so the confusion is justified. But in fact, the company that is running the Canada Line is completely separate from the company that runs the Millennium and Expo SkyTrain lines. Part of the Private-Public-Partnership deal was that the private bidder would not only build the Canada Line, but also operate it for x number of years. inTransit BC (SNC-Lavalin) is the new company that operates the Canada Line while SkyTrain is the company that operates the Millennium and Expo lines. Both inTransitBC and SkyTrain still report into TransLink, the overarching organization that maintains much of the transportation network in the region.
Technology Choices
Another interesting element of the Canada Line is the technology choices. While the previous SkyTrain networks were built with Bombardier’s proprietary linear induction ALRT family, the Canada Line is utilizing more traditional rail. This was a contentious issue during the bidding process as Bombardier could potentially have made a lower bid factoring in economies of scale. But the bidding process was designed to set a fair playing field for all technology providers. In the end in TransitBC decided on cars from Hyundai which utilize conventional electric motors.
Future Ramifications
Many eyes will be on the Canada Line over the coming years. This will be the first Private/Public rapid-transit line in the region. Success could result in future projects following this model. I predict inTransitBC and Skytrain having a bit of a rivalry over the coming years. Already I overheard one inTransitBC employee talking smack about the Bombardier cars. Efficiencies, downtime, customer satisfaction and more will be measured in the coming years. In a way – we have 2 competing rapid-transit lines in the region. This is a good thing and will give Translink an invaluable amount of information that will ultimately decide how future lines are built.
The residents of Metro Vancouver will benefit from the Canada Line in more ways than they can imagine.
