Expo Line - Surrey Langley Extension: Planning & Pre-Construction

[rpvan]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

It could work IF Columbia Station can even handle a shuttle - there's only two tracks and not much expansion room - AND we don't ever need a Guildford or a Coquitlam-Surrey route. You could interline one with the Expo (Coq-Newton, Waterfront-Langley), but again, TL's had numerous switching failures before.

]

Columbia is overwhelmed as it is - very poorly designed given its a major transfer point. And as you mention, there's not much expansion room for another platform to accomodate a potential shuttle route.

[Xrayal]

Originally Posted by scryer

My idea was assuming that the extension to Newton would operate as a separate line and only sharing the Expo track for KG and SC stations (and later branching off to Guildford).

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

you can't have two trains in the same place at once, right?

Or could you? What if the two stations (KG and SC) were lengthened to allow each lines trains to stop at the same time?

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Xrayal

Or could you? What if the two stations (KG and SC) were lengthened to allow each lines trains to stop at the same time?

I don't think SC has enough room for that.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by rpvan

Columbia is overwhelmed as it is - very poorly designed given its a major transfer point. And as you mention, there's not much expansion room for another platform to accomodate a potential shuttle route.

Would New Westminster station be better suited for transfers?

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Would New Westminster station be better suited for transfers?

I'm confused; wouldn't you have to go past Columbia to get to New West?

[rpvan]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

I'm confused; wouldn't you have to go past Columbia to get to New West?

Yeah - even if New West was designed to be a transfer point, everyone would still transfer at Columbia. Doesn't really make any sense to travel to an extra station to transfer. The best solution would be a complete upgrade of Columbia which would be fairly difficult given the area constraints.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by rpvan

Yeah - even if New West was designed to be a transfer point, everyone would still transfer at Columbia. Doesn't really make any sense to travel to an extra station to transfer. The best solution would be a complete upgrade of Columbia which would be fairly difficult given the area constraints.

It for sure needs an upgrade.

I think any transfer station that has outside platforms is ridiculous. Columbia is a ridiculous transfer station because from Surrey you have to do a silly walk down under and up to go from one platform to another. Same if you're coming from north and want to go to Surrey.

Transfer stations should have center platforms imho. That's why I think King George station would be a crappy transfer station if they short turn trains to Langley from Surrey Central. It would be much better to do transfers at Surrey Central which is a central platform.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by jhausner

Transfer stations should have center platforms imho. That's why I think King George station would be a crappy transfer station if they short turn trains to Langley from Surrey Central.

Side platforms aren't such a big deal for transfers between trains running in the same direction, because you don't have to go to a different platform. Columbia is only problematic because people have to transfer from inbound trains from Surrey to outbound trains to the Millenium line (or vice versa).

[nds88]

Does anyone know if the Surrey-Langley line will be earmarking space along the line for future stations? Similar to how the Canada Line has future potential for stations at 33rd Ave and 57th Ave. I am specifically interested in learning if there will be earmarked space for a future station at 148 St and Fraser Hwy.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by nds88

Does anyone know if the Surrey-Langley line will be earmarking space along the line for future stations? Similar to how the Canada Line has future potential for stations at 33rd Ave and 57th Ave. I am specifically interested in learning if there will be earmarked space for a future station at 148 St and Fraser Hwy.

I'd suspect the answer will be no.

[nds88]

Originally Posted by Sheba

I'd suspect the answer will be no.

What's the reasoning or intel on this? Or just a hunch?

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Side platforms aren't such a big deal for transfers between trains running in the same direction, because you don't have to go to a different platform. Columbia is only problematic because people have to transfer from inbound trains from Surrey to outbound trains to the Millenium line (or vice versa).

You do though for short turns because trains coming in will switch tracks as they come into the station, then go the other direction. So you end up exiting on the wrong platform. With a central platform you exit the train after it switches and just run across to the other side. The Surrey > Lougheed is the best example of what a short train turn around would look like at King George which sucks for commuters.

Either that or they don't short turn coming in but do it after which increases delay between trains. King George is an example where when they do the turn around during the day they often will switch to outbound as it comes into the station so you end up exiting at the north platform so if at that point.

I'm thinking specifically for King George which doesn't have a middle rail to turn around after the station. So trains have to go out then stop, then turn around which fills the track up. I just think if they run full Expo through to Langley then every second turns around, that they do the turn around at Surrey Central not King George.

Just my opinion that's all.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by nds88

Does anyone know if the Surrey-Langley line will be earmarking space along the line for future stations? Similar to how the Canada Line has future potential for stations at 33rd Ave and 57th Ave. I am specifically interested in learning if there will be earmarked space for a future station at 148 St and Fraser Hwy.

I don't think so at least track design doesn't seem to plan for that as it curves right at 148th. I'm also unsure we would need a station at 148th ever. You have parkland on one side entirely, and residential that is largely built up already and low-medium density. I also think traffic wise, 148th can't really handle additional pickup/dropoff traffic if there was a station there.

What I found interesting was instead of 188th and 64th Ave, they went with 190th only. I think it is mainly for traffic, but the hub of development is centered on 188 and 64th which means a lot of people will have a fair walk given 190th itself is empty with only roads partially built.

*shrug* it will work anyway I just find it interesting.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by jhausner

You do though for short turns because trains coming in will switch tracks as they come into the station, then go the other direction.

There's no reason they can't build a switch or (even better) a mid storage track on the outbound side of King George when they extend the line - that would allow short turning trains to come back on the inbound platform. And a mid storage track would divorce the switching operation from the timing of inbound and outbound trains.

[officedweller]

Yes, a siding is planned for the park segment.
cited a few pages back.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

https://www.surreylangleyskytrain.ca/-/m...ts/media-resources/sls_roll_plot_web.pdf

According to this document, there is track to the east of the 166 St Station.

It looks like there will be a center storage track to the west of the station, then a tail track to the east.

I really hope they turn the trains around on the tail track. When they use the single platform approach at King George to turn the trains around, it's a mad house.

This just shows one west of 166th Station.
Thought there was also a doc that showed one along the park (maybe the city's road widening doc).

[officedweller]

Here it is.

But since there wouldn't be 2 storage tracks so close to each other, I guess the one near 166th Station is the current plan (?)

Originally Posted by officedweller

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/surrey-langley-skytrain-fraser-highway-widening


Eastbound view: Optimized SkyTrain design with four-lane Fraser Highway (mid block) between 140 Street and 96 Avenue through Green Timbers Urban Forest. (City of Surrey)
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/surrey-langley-skytrain-fraser-highway-widening

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by nds88

What's the reasoning or intel on this? Or just a hunch?

A bit of both. Early images from TransLink showed a station at 148th but they've since basically said it's not worth it, and the overlapping circles show why. They've also adjusted the location of two other stations since this:


Daily Hive

[flipper316]

Originally Posted by nds88

What's the reasoning or intel on this? Or just a hunch?

Cuz there's nothing there.

[rpvan]

Would be great to see this project completed in just one phase.

$550 million in federal funding requested for SkyTrain to reach Langley
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-langley-centre-federal-funding-tako-van-popta