THE Canadian government will provide up to $C 1.3bn ($US 1.04bn) for the Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension, a more than $C 3bn project to expand Metro Vancouver’s Expo Line by 16km.

The investment represents up to 40% of eligible costs, with the government of British Columbia and other partners funding the remaining 60%, up to $C 2.54bn, the prime minister’s office says.

The elevated automated rapid transit system extension will run from Surrey’s King George SkyTrain Station to the Langley city centre along Fraser Highway. It will include eight new stations, three bus exchanges, 30 SkyTrain cars, an operations and maintenance centre, supporting system upgrades, and park and ride spaces. Ridership is projected at 62,000 per day in 2035, growing to 71,200 in 2050.

The Surrey light rail project was cancelled in December 2018 in favour of the extension of the SkyTrain automated metro network into the city.

The government of British Columbia has committed to taking over ownership and delivery of the project and completing it to Langley. Once the new line is built, TransLink will serve as operator.

“The populations of Surrey, Langley and other Fraser Valley communities are growing quickly, and we must build infrastructure to meet the needs of those families,” says British Columbia’s minister of transportation and infrastructure, Mr Rob Fleming. “We thank the government of Canada for joining the province on our commitment to Surrey Langley SkyTrain, and we are excited to move forward on this important transportation project which will serve people for years to come.”

The Canadian government also announced a commitment to fund up to 40% of eligible costs toward future planning and business case development for a proposed extension of the Millennium Line from Arbutus Station to the University of British Columbia (UBC). Currently under way is the Broadway Subway Project, a 5.7km extension of the Millennium Line from VCC-Clark Station to Broadway and Arbutus, which is due for completion in 2025.

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