For those who have travelled the world (especially Western Europe), will acknowledge that community rail systems are critical to their densely populated urban centres. These countries' governments are not hesitant to spend the monies needed (in cases, billions) to make sure these are built. In the Greater Vancouver area and Fraser Valley, I feel that having so many (15?) local governments are a detriment to getting these critical infrastructure projects done. Will we these governments to agree, and act in the best interests of all who live here?

I remember my Grandmother telling me stories about the BC Electric taking her and her sisters to downtown New Westminster from Langley. They would go down in the morning and come back at night. It made perfect sense how girls living in the country could still go "to town". I think with the rail tracks already in place, the cost to rejig compared to the cost of a new skytrain expansion is very doable. When you add this to the cost of housing, there are many that cannot afford a reliable vehicle and have to rely on public transit. Why not have another option?

The interesting item about Highway one is that they are only adding HOV lanes as the third lane. It will help somewhat with congestion but not a lot. Langley wants to shut down the Langley Airport so they will be allowed to build taller buildings however Rick is right about the land being soft which doesn't help with density. I recommend you take the time to listen to the video as it has more content. Any of us that drive that highway know it is congested most of the time and prone to accidents.

I enjoyed hearing the conversation between Mayor Green (Township of Langley) and Tyler from FVC. A whole of information was provided by former Mayor Green that made a lot of sense and Tyler spoke for the large percentage of commuters who don't leave 'south of the fraser' which is important, being one myself. There is no 'silver bullet'. Everything matters. Like a lot of the other commentors, I would love to see the community rail idea come to fruition.

Rick didn't talk (maybe in video) that it will be Hydrogen rail which is very environmentally friendly. Thus means it will be cutting alot of emissions in our Valley which seems to trap alot of pollution caused by various factors. I'm all for it !

I wish we could have this solution tomorrow and 7 days a week! I would love to go from Abbotsford to Chilliwack on a regular basis, even if it took an hour. I refuse to ride a bus so my only alternative is to drive. Therefore, I don't do it as often as I would like.

I love the idea of having a community train! If you aren’t on a tight time constraint, what a lovely way to travel on a historical route. If I had visitors, I’d encourage them to use this train, as it would be scenic. It could be a tourist attraction if it’s planned well. Also I think it would boost community commerce, especially if the stations are within walking distance of city centers, it would be good for local business.

Fraser Valley farmers loaded their cream cans on the “train” for transport to New Westminster dairies for processing. It was good enough for them, it is good enough for me. Eventually, though probably not in my lifetime, it will come.

Community rail would be a great travel alternative. It might take a bit longer than a good day on the highway, but there are many advantages to travelling by train. The fact that this proposal doesn’t follow the highway route, but would link communities by a route that isn’t currently available, is a bonus. Strongly in favour.

I think the train idea is great, but I think having Rick Green and Bill Vander Zalm as the spokespeople will doom it.

I also very much appreciated Tyler playing the devil's advocate to flush out why the train might be such a great addition to rapid transit in the Valley. Even as he had his head bitten off trying to do so. The readers agree; trains are great and through this article, we understand a bit more about how the interurban train might benefit us.

Even though Tyler had to work hard to get some commute times out of Green, I appreciated it.

Our family uses the Express bus as well as the commuter train to Mission to get to and from YVR, whichever works best for the schedule. So when will the region build something that goes from YVR to somewhere Besides Vancouver????? Like Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack? Making everything about going to and from Vancouver is hamstringing the Valley

The tracks are there now. They've been their for a century. The line used to go all the way to New West and on to Vancouver. They were abandoned because decision makers of the day were sure the future was not on rails but on rubber. It is documented that many communities made this decision under lobbying from General Motors in the 40s and 50s. In my 59 years on this planet, born and raised here, One thing is for certain, transport infrastructure comes VERY slowly and never arrives as promised. I remember when Skytrain opened. The subject of this community rail feeding the new system was talked about then. Politicians laughed it off promising that Skytrain would be in Langley in short order and buses would do the rest. That was 39 years ago. Those tracks have been there all along. I used to work in Burnaby. I tried that 66 Express to Carvolth. It was a bust. It was a rare day that the bus flowed easily back into Chilliwack. Often it meant a scenic extra hour diverting on farm roads.

I live in Abbotsford and travel all over the province regularly. I personally would never take a bus unless I absolutely had to. All because of the traffic issue. Safety and reliability of stops and arrival times. (Yes, this means I’m adding to the traffic in my car) A few years ago I was in a bad collision while riding a bus. If I didn’t want to use them in the first 30 years of my life I definitely didn’t after that. I find train travel to be much more comfortable and safe.

I’ve travelled and lived in Europe for several years and train travel is very practical, reliable and safe. It sometimes feels like we are living in the dark ages here. If you look at a map of any major European city there is a massive web of connectivity by trains, and they’re so efficient. They really increase the community quality as well in my opinion because everyone takes them to avoid sitting in traffic or driving, so there is a massive mesh of people groups, classes, ages, etc. which is wonderful.

I was surprised when I started working for a business in Chilliwack a few years ago, that most of my co-workers lived in Langley or Abbotsford. I know they would have loved to commute by train. Even if it takes longer, not having the stress of driving in heavy traffic and possibly working while on the train, would be appealing. I think it would be used more than you think, Tyler.

I love the idea of a community rail system. It works well in Europe and it takes cars and buses off the main roads.

Return of interurban rail would be amazing—Green is right, not all travel is commuter, and I think Olsen/FVC is underestimating regional growth & how many folks can't drive or will prefer other options if feasible—kids, seniors, newcomers w/out licences yet, eco-conscious folks, low-income w/out cars . . . Regular, reliable service is essential though. Dave Loewen's comment about CN's traffic is the most concerning part. Getting out of gridlock (& getting more bodies/individual vehicles off those roads by extension!), ease of use, access to formerly inaccessible areas (bus transfers & wait times are a nightmare . . .) We need more transit, period, and trains (esp. when there's already track/routes in place!) are amazing.

I would most definitely use a rail system throughout the Fraser valley. In fact, I would visit Langley and Chilliwack much more often. (I live in Abby). I am someone who does not like to drive on the freeway. And I especially have no interest in sitting on a bus stuck in traffic on the freeway!

Tyler seemed to be very rude to a person who has researched this whole issue thoroughly. Tyler’s pat answer seemed to be to provide more buses even though it was pointed out that Hiway One, that these buses must use, is already gridlock and likely to get far worse. We need a whole different route, not more of the same. Tyler was also hung up on the time movement took, whereas Mr Green pointed out that the rail option is not meant for commuting to work, but just to link up our 16 local communities. Viewed that way, the time issue is moot. I feel rail would be a great addition to what we now have. Let’s do it!

I wish you had discussed the issue of getting cooperation from CN, which “controls” traffic on a critical section of the line, and expects to increase their use in the near future.

Let’s use all the tools in the toolbox. The rail line is already waiting there! Besides serving the community for transportation, there’s an entire tourism piece that is never discussed. Visitors love trains!