Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. invests to upgrade West Coast Express

Darpan News Desk BC Government, 17 Mar, 2021 07:10 PM
  • B.C. invests to upgrade West Coast Express

The safety and well-being of Canadians are top priorities of the governments of Canada and British Columbia.

Investments in public transit during this extraordinary time help support regional economies and make communities more inclusive and resilient.

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change; Ron McKinnon, MP for Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam; Rob Fleming, B.C.’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure; George Heyman, B.C.’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy; Bowinn Ma, B.C.’s Minister of State for Infrastructure, alongside Gigi Chen-Kuo, interim CEO of TransLink, announced funding for the refurbishment of seven West Coast Express locomotives.

The project includes refurbishing the engines of six of the seven locomotives to extend their lifespan by a projected 15 years. In addition, all head end power units, which provide heat and lighting to the passenger cars, will be replaced to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency and allow operation of longer trains.

“The West Coast Express is an important transit line for the people of B.C. Federal funding will help to reduce, reuse and recycle by refurbishing older locomotives to give them a new lease on life,” McKenna said. “Cutting emissions from the transportation sector is vital to meeting Canada’s climate goals, and the Government of Canada’s support for cleaner, more climate-resilient rail options will play a significant role. Canada’s infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities.”

To ensure there is no disruption in service, locomotives will be refurbished one at a time, with each locomotive tested, commissioned and returned to service before work starts on the next locomotive.

“We’re committed to building B.C. back better by continuing to invest in transportation projects that create jobs, give people more options to get to where they need to go and help get people out of their cars and onto public, low-carbon commuter trains,” Fleming said.

The Government of Canada is investing $10.2 million in this project through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of British Columbia is contributing $ 9.2 million and TransLink is contributing $1.5 million for this project.

Quick Facts:

  • West Coast Express is a commuter rail service that runs 68 kilometres between Mission and Vancouver.  Prior to COVID-19, up to 11,000 people used the commuter service every day.
  • Through the Investing in Canada Plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
  • The Government of Canada has invested $4.3 billion in 544 infrastructure projects throughout B.C. under the Investing in Canada plan.

MORE National ARTICLES

Man in serious condition following Highway 99 shooting

Man in serious condition following Highway 99 shooting
Officers arrived and located two men; one was suffering from gunshot wounds and was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

Man in serious condition following Highway 99 shooting

Be COVID-19 smart on St. Patrick's Day: officials

Be COVID-19 smart on St. Patrick's Day: officials
Amid worries about a third pandemic wave, health authorities are urging would-be celebrants to be mindful of the risks and obey all limits on social gatherings.

Be COVID-19 smart on St. Patrick's Day: officials

Adam Strong found guilty of murder, manslaughter

Adam Strong found guilty of murder, manslaughter
Adam Strong, 47, was convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of Rori Hache and of manslaughter in that of Kandis Fitzpatrick.

Adam Strong found guilty of murder, manslaughter

Suspected impaired driver crashes into roadblock on Highway 99

Suspected impaired driver crashes into roadblock on Highway 99
The driver of the civilian vehicle was arrested for impaired operation of a motor vehicle.

Suspected impaired driver crashes into roadblock on Highway 99

Pipeline politics back before Commons committee

Pipeline politics back before Commons committee
Michigan has refused to concede that the state's own experts have concluded there are no clear alternatives to the pipeline, he wrote to the governor in a letter earlier this year.

Pipeline politics back before Commons committee

Minister defends attack petition on Bigfoot movie

Minister defends attack petition on Bigfoot movie
Sonya Savage also says it’s critical to push back constantly against any false narrative that casts Alberta’s wellspring industry in a negative light.

Minister defends attack petition on Bigfoot movie