Premier John Horgan says he envisions Surrey as the terminus for the proposed high-speed rail project coming from Seattle.
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.
RELATED: Governor says Washington will continue to reject Trans Mountain ‘every way’ it can
Horgan said he envisions high-speed rail running from Seattle to B.C.’s Lower Mainland, with a terminus in Surrey that would connect with SkyTrain and other public transportation infrastructure to take riders to Vancouver’s airport, the city’s downtown core and the Fraser Valley.
This new funding, according to a release from the B.C. government, will be for the proposed next phase of the project, “that will explore models for a multi-jurisdictional authority to lead a community engagement process and preliminary environmental review.”
Horgan said the additional $300,000 is “to make the connectivity between our two jurisdictions a tangible, real thing.”
In March of 2018, B.C. contributed $300,000 for a business case analysis “to explore ridership levels, project delivery methods, cost and financing,” 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.
“It’s based on an optimistic vision of the growth that we’re going to have in British Columbia and Washington,” he said. “We are a world-class community across that border.”
I’m pleased to welcome B.C. Premier @jjhorgan to Washington. Our regional partnership is advancing our ability to protect the environment, grow #cleanenergy jobs and strengthen our transportation corridor. I look forward to our continued work together. pic.twitter.com/RDIPDSRtJW
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) February 7, 2019
edit@surreynowleader.comLike us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram and follow us on Twitter
