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New SkyTrain Extension From Surrey to Langley Facing Major Delays

surrey-langley-skytrain-route

Photo: TransLink

The plan to extend the SkyTrain’s Expo Line from King George Station into Surrey’s Fleetwood has been put on hold, due to the financial impacts of the pandemic.

Metro Vancouver’s Mayor’s Council approved a business plan earlier this year. TransLink was expecting federal and provincial approval by the end of May, with an investment plan updated this summer.

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But as the pandemic is affecting so many businesses, a $1.63 billion extension is raising some concerns.

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“The pandemic is adversely impacting TransLink’s finances and much work will be required before TransLink will be able to develop and approve the next Investment Plan,” wrote TransLink’s VP of Transportation Policy and Planning, Geoff Cross, in a report.

The plan was for TransLink to fund 20% of the project’s first phase. The provincial and federal government would each fund another 40%.

However, Cross wrote in the report that having a Phase 2 plan by July, “was no longer feasible due to uncertainties in projecting future revenues.”

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The plan for the SkyTrain extension; Photo: TransLink

TransLink must now address several questions and “consider a new path to approval,” reads the report.

However, the report said the business case is still strong. It added that the line heading into Langley is a crucial addition to the region’s transit infrastructure.

For more Metro Vancouver stories, head to our News section.

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