© SUNDAY

“Commuter rail service between Port
Coquitlam and Vancouver may be:
delayed or'postponed beyond the
mid-1982 target date for implementa-
Uon announced by the provincial -
government lust year.

And if the government balks at
footing an cxtra $30 million to
improve the track and roadbed

Special by
Lee Rankin

between the two communities, the

project may. be shelved completely.
Larry Miller, general manager of

the Urban Transit Authority (UTA),

said. Thursday that CP Rail had’

presented one proposal calling for $3)
milion worth of trek rondbed
Aoiprovements at strategic locations
on the line.

“tts improving the ability to
Operate through the system at the
‘strategic times we need to use it." said
Miller.

Hesaid CPR had told the UTA that
the rail company could not accomo-
‘date commuter cail service as

SConditions have chanved so the

original Concept is not possible. "said

“Miller. “There's more trains Moving -

is good for the economy.

Originsily proposed just year Becaune

Operating Conditions on the line nad
chan ged. a j :
———— ;

He said although the UTA was

‘hopeful it could implement the

commuter rail service as quickly as
possible, there was “no point in doing
ie if it’s not an economical

_ Proposition.”

Milter said capital costs of
commuter rail service would be
funded by the provincial government,
and repaid by fare revenue, local
governments and the province as part
of operating costs over 25-30 years.

Until negotiations with the rail
company were completed, the UTA
could not give a revised launch date
for commuter rail service between
Port Coquitlam and Vancouver, he
said. Tied to the commuter rail service
is a bus and ride commuter system for
Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge.

“We're very optimistic thal we can
come to an agreement with the
railway, and we're pushing for an early
as possible date,” said Miller. “There's
demand in that corridor.”

Derek DeBiasio, policy co-
ordinator with the ministry of
municipal affairs, said Thursday he
hoped the commuter rail line oculd be
implemented along the lines that the.
project was presented tothe public last --
year,

“If negotiations go well it could be-,
late 1982," he said. “If not it could. be -
early 1983. .

DeBiasio said he was not aware of,

. the CPR's proposed $30 million in

track improvement to accomodate
commuter rail.

But he said the provincial.
government was still committed tothe -
commuter rail.system.

Port Coquitlam mayor Len

Traboulay was more pessimistic about: *,

the future of commuter rail between!
his city and Vancouver, vow b eg
“Commuter rail is definitely Gff the
track,” he said Thursday. He accused
CPR of reneging on its promise to
provide a commuter rail corridor on

‘the existing track along the South be

shore of Burrard Inlet...

. Traboulay said-he would be meeting: .
with miunicipa! affairs minister Bl!

Vander Zalm in Victoria Feb.i22 tq,’ fi

press the government tocome.up with-

the $30 million to double track “Ep

needs be."

“Thirty million is cheap compared .
>with another freeway,’ "hg said. .

Hugh MacAulay, superintendent of ;
CPR declined to comment on-
negotiahions between the railway and «
the UTA, *

“We've made. a submission to then
and J understand they're reviewing it,
. he said.

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