Premier John Horgan says he envisions 性视界传媒 as the end of the line for a proposed high-speed rail project coming from Seattle.

But where that terminus would be located here remains a mystery.

鈥淚 agree with the premier that the high-speed rail terminus should connect to SkyTrain in 性视界传媒,鈥� 性视界传媒 Mayor Doug McCallum told the Now-Leader on Wednesday, in an emailed statement furnished by the Mayor鈥檚 Office.

The statement was sent after requests for an interview with the mayor were denied.

鈥淲hen the next phase of SkyTrain is built to Newton and South 性视界传媒 there will be even more options for a terminus,鈥� the statement continued.

鈥淎s to exactly where it should be located, I don鈥檛 have a preference at this early stage. However, I would be more than happy to work with Premier Horgan and Governor Inslee on how and where we can bring this project to 性视界传媒.鈥�

In a press conference south of the border with Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Thursday (Feb. 7), Horgan announced the province will kick in another $300,000 to help fund a study of a potential high-speed transportation service linking B.C., Washington and Oregon.

性视界传媒 Mayor Doug McCallum. (File photo)

Horgan said he envisions high-speed rail running from Seattle to the Lower Mainland, with a terminus in 性视界传媒 that would connect with SkyTrain and other public transportation infrastructure to take riders to Vancouver鈥檚 airport, the city鈥檚 downtown core and the Fraser Valley.

Horgan said the additional $300,000 is 鈥渢o make the connectivity between our two jurisdictions a tangible, real thing.鈥�

In March of 2018, B.C. contributed $300,000 for a business case analysis 鈥渢o explore ridership levels, project delivery methods, cost and financing,鈥� according to the news release.

The full results of the analysis are expected this summer.

Inslee added that a preliminary review has shown the rail link could generate 1.8 million riders in the first few years and Washington has contributed more than $3 million to the project.

鈥淚t鈥檚 based on an optimistic vision of the growth that we鈥檙e going to have in British Columbia and Washington,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e are a world-class community across that border.鈥�

Said McCallum, again in an emailed statement to the Now-Leader: 鈥淎s SkyTrain expands in our city to Langley and in its next phase to Newton, 性视界传媒 is a natural fit and logical choice as the terminus for high speed rail.

鈥淲ith 性视界传媒 as the terminus, the connectivity that the Premier speaks of is not only between the cities of Seattle and Vancouver but for the entire region. People from both Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley will be able to easily access high speed rail through our growing SkyTrain network.鈥�

Almost nine years ago to the day, on Feb. 12, 2010, the governments of B.C., Washington, Oregon and California agreed to explore setting up a high-speed rail line between San Diego and Vancouver, under a Pacific Coast Collaborative chaired by then California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A memorandum was signed to develop Highway 99 and Interstate 5 into an uninterrupted 鈥済reen鈥� transportation corridor championing renewable fuels and the high-speed rail link.

Schwarzenegger and then B.C. Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell also vowed to build a 鈥渉ydrogen highway鈥� between California鈥檚 border with Mexico and Whistler which would see hydrogen fueling stations installed along the way. But the plan appears to have run out of gas.

Horgan, as a rookie MLA, had mocked the Liberals鈥� 鈥渉ydrogen hype鈥� and, in a column penned by Vaughn Palmer, was quoted as questioning why B.C. was 鈥渆mbarking on what could only be described as a bottomless pit of public subsidy for a technology that鈥檚 not yet proven.鈥�

Time will tell if the upcoming study on this recently proposed high-speed international rail project will recommend that the trains be fuelled by hydrogen.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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