Talk:Canada Line

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To simplify the timeline I removed some of the following things about the inability of Translink to come to a decision. I don't think it is really relevant any more now that the project has been approved. However, I will leave it here for the entertainment of our readers:

  • On May 7, 2004 the TransLink Board voted 7-5 not to proceed work on the RAV line due to projected cost overruns.
  • On June 15, 2004 BC Premier Gordon Campbell reported his desire to revitalize the RAV as well as the NorthEast extension of the Millennium Line into Coquitlam, stating that the provincial government would cover any cost overruns.
  • On June 18, 2004 the RAV line was defeated again (6-6 tie).
  • On June 30, 2004 the TransLink Board approved the RAV line 8-4 owing to Vancouver city councillor Raymond Louie and North Vancouver mayor Barbara Sharp having changed their votes conditional on maintaining the right to cancel the project if none of the bids meet the approved budget of $1.35 Billion.
  • On November 18, 2004 the TransLink Board announced that the RAV Line could be scrapped due to cost overruns if they don't settle the issue by the end of November.
  • On November 19, 2004 RAVCO recommended that the SNC-Lavalin/Serco proposal for a fully automated, grade-separated system be accepted. This 'Best and Final Offer' bid was $343 million dollars over the approved budget. However, through various cost trimming measures the bid price has since been reduced to within $106 million of the approved budget.
  • On November 22, 2004 the City of Richmond has stated that they would oppose any elevated line along Number 3 Road as is proposed in the recommended bid. They would like to see the line moved to Minoru Boulevard, or built at grade.
  • On December 1, 2004 the TransLink board is scheduled to vote on the 'Best and Final Offer' bid.
  • On September 21, 2005 a smaller crane will be used to the cut-and-cover which will increase the disruption time for four months.

Contents

[edit] Canada Line

I added a link to canadaline I assumed it was a website built by the Fed/Prov. Gov't I hope this is correct.

Is it time to move this article to Canada Line? Ground Zero | t 15:10, 29 November 2005 (UTC)

I'd say so. David Arthur 00:20, 30 November 2005 (UTC)
Done. - zero.

[edit] Vehicles

Does anyone know if the new vehicles will be compatible with the existing SkyTrain lines? Will a new vehicle yard need to be built for them? --Jfruh 16:08, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

The new line will have its own yard, and I don't believe there will even be (initially, at least) a connection between it and the Expo Line. Both fleets are built for standard-guage tracks, so combining the two segments in future would be more practicable than with Toronto's 'subway' lines and the Scarborough RT, but I don't know whether the train-control systems will be compatible in such a way as to allow ART and ROTEM vehicles to run on the same line. Certainly it's unlikely that the Canada Line will have the induction plate that the ART trains require. David Arthur 18:05, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Name

Just wondering if anyone read anything about why the name was changed from RAV to Canada Line. To me, RAV or Olympic Line make the most sense! --Phillipe83 7:37, 26 February 2006 (UTC)

I don’t know the exact rationale behind the name ‘Canada Line’, but ‘Richmond–Airport–Vancouver’ was never intended to be anything more than a descriptive term to use while planning the line. David Arthur 21:10, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Sketch

I like the map on the front page but thought I'd note here that the 'False Creek South' station is missing and the 'Davie' Station is called 'Yaletown' apparently. --Phillipe83 7:56, 26 February 2006 (UTC)

Additionaly, Robson is now "Vancouver City Centre" and there are only going to be 3 YVR stations, one of them being Airport Terminal and one of them Templeton. Cambie has also been renamed Aberdeen. Stormscape 11:50, 1 June 2006 (UTC)
Updated copyrighted image with another one. -- Usgnus 15:03, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "Skytrain" branding

A recent edit added the following:

The Canada Line, formerly known as the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver Line ("RAV Line"), is a new rapid transit line of the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink) currently under construction. The line will be the third in Greater Vancouver, Canada and will be added to the existing rapid transit system but will not use linear induction motor technology. Thus it will not be branded "SkyTrain" and the system will simply be branded the Canada Line.

Is there any documentary evidence of this? It's fully possible, of course. But Bombardier's branding for the technology behind the existing SkyTrain system is actually "Bombardier Advanced Rapid Transit"; SkyTrain is Translink's branding for its rapid transit. In theory, there's nothing stopping Translink from branding all its rapid transit lines as "SkyTrain" (and even using the same branding for the light rail Evergreen Line). I have no idea one way or the other, but unless Translink has issued some definitive edict on the subject, I don't think we should make this claim. --Jfruh (talk) 19:03, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, I should clarify that what I'm looking for evidence of is the fact that the Canada Line won't be branded as a SkyTrain line. It's well documented that it will be built with a different technology from the existing lines. --Jfruh (talk) 19:08, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
An anonymous IP address just edited this to say that the RAV line will definitively not use the SkyTrain branding. While it's obviously possible and even seems likely, it would be nice to have a citation. --Jfruh (talk) 20:44, 10 April 2008 (UTC)
Agreed that it is likely, but unproven; I've removed it for now until we can find a citation. --Ckatzchatspy 03:55, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Question about future extension

It looks to me like a 15 – 20 kilometer extension south could take the Canada Line to the ferry terminal at Tsawwassen. Has there been any suggestion that this might be done some day, any study of the feasability?

I'd say it's pretty unlikely that such an extension would be made in the next few decades, because the population density along any likely route probably isn't high enough to justify rapid transit. As for any studies, the GVRD periodically carries out studies of overall transit service for parts of the regional district, so presumably there is a study covering Delta and Tsawwassen. Try the GVRD website maybe? Vortigern 15:37, 16 November 2006 (UTC)
I can see it extending into West Richmond though. I live there, and for every house they knock down, they build two or three -- in many places, the population density rivals East Vancouver's. -→Buchanan-Hermit™/?! 19:20, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] ‘Name of the line’ section

Can anyone provide a source for the assertion that serious consideration was given to calling it the ‘Olympic Line’ (since TransLink have been so careful to stress that this is not an Olympic project), let alone that there was ever any intention to use the name ‘RAV’ when it went into service? David Arthur 16:18, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

This study made frequent use of the Olympic line label http://www.marigni.com/vancouver.html (Unregistered 00:04, 10 January 2007 (UTC))

[edit] Location of Broadway/City Hall

Something doesn't add up here... "There have been recent complaints about the location of the Broadway-City Hall station. Critics say that it is not close enough to Broadway and it is too far _north_ on Cambie St. Officials have taken this complaint seriously and they are debating whether or not to move the station _north_ 50 metres, so it will be closer to Broadway"... If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say that the proposed site is too far _south_ judging by this document http://www.canadaline.ca/files/uploads/docs/doc65.pdf 24.80.100.72 05:33, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Photos of Construction

I've posted online a collection of Creative Commons licensed photograph of the construction of the Canada Line at http://canadalinephotos.blogspot.com/ that may be of interest for this article. --Tafyrn (talk) 06:52, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Photos of trains?

Several trains are apparently now sitting in plain view in the yard at Bridgeport station — can anyone get a good photograph of one of them to replace the artist’s image that appears in the article at the moment? David Arthur (talk) 19:35, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

Here are some photographs of the trains in the yard and from the unveiling ceremony:
http://canadalinephotos.blogspot.com/2008/01/2008-01-18-operations-and-maintenance.html
http://canadalinephotos.blogspot.com/2007/12/2007-12-14-train-unveiling-ceremony.html
The photographs are licensed under Creative Commons, so you can upload a low-resolution version from my blog to wikipedia, or let me know which one you think is best, and I'll upload a higher resolution version from my source images. --Tafyrn (talk) 02:43, 10 February 2008 (UTC)
Great! I like this one myself. David Arthur (talk) 16:00, 10 February 2008 (UTC)