LETTER: Langley will likely never see SkyTrain due to skyrocketing costs

Dear Editor,

Re: [B.C. to force higher-density development along transit lines, langleyadvancetimes.com, April 5]

A recent opinion piece about transportation mulled over what the SkyTrain light-metro will do for Langley.

In the real world, a SkyTrain light-metro will do little, but increase land costs along its route.

There is a big “if” to all this and that the Expo Line extension to Langley is now over $1 billion underfunded as the cost has now risen past $3.95 billion and troubles crossing the boggy Serpentine Valley, and inflation may increase this cost to over $4.5 billion.

So expensive is the project that the province has taken it over, leaving TransLink with egg on its face.

$2.85 billion more than the $1.65 billion, claimed by the transit expert mayor of Surrey, four years ago, when in a hissy-fit demanded a switch from modern light rail, to a proprietary and very expensive light metro system.

The problem facing TransLink is that they also have to source an additional $3 billion to rehab the Expo Line to increase capacity and the ability to operate more trains.

Thus in real terms the Expo line extension to Langley will cost over $7.5 billion and that does not include the $2 billion earmarked for new cars as the old UTDC MK.1s have seen better days.

There is now serious talk within TransLink to abandon the Expo Line extension for now and use earmarked money to complete Broadway subway to UBC, now estimated at about $5 billion.

Adios the Expo Line extension to Langley!

And to think, if Surrey’s mayor did not have a temper tantrum about extending the now obsolete SkyTrain light metro system instead of building a much cheaper and far more versatile modern LRT, Langley politicians would be cutting ribbons by the end of 2025, opening the new line.

Malcolm Johnston, Rail for the Valley, Delta

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• READ MORE: TransLink announces goal to expand service over next decade

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