The proponent of a light-rail testing track on the West Shore is determined to proceed, even though a federal bank says it never agreed to provide startup funding, and no viable test sites have been found yet.
Stephen Kong of Vancouver-based ThinkEco Power Systems Inc. has pitched the idea of ultra-light rail and electric to View Royal and Colwood councils, who were both keen on the idea of finding suitable spots to host a two- to three-kilometre test track for electric trains — at a promised no cost to local governments.
During his presentations to the councils in late June and early July, Kong said he had approvals from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to fund the startup venture.
But the federal bank said although Kong had discussed the project with its investment team, he was told the Canada Infrastructure Bank could not provide funding as requested.
“The CIB does not provide grants or make investments in R&D, pilots or demonstration projects,” Ross Marowits, manager of media relations and issues management for CIB, said in a statement.
“We indicated to the proponent that we would be happy to re-engage at a future date if a proposed project aligned with CIB’s investment criteria.”
CIB requires a formal request from a provincial or municipal government that includes, among other things, a project backgrounder plus a scope of work, budget and timeline for a feasibility study, Marowits said.
After that, the project could be re-evaluated to see if it meets the standard for funding.
Kong said his company spoke with a senior director of CIB about the project, and called CIB’s response “disappointing.”
“The Canada Infrastructure Bank came forward on July 12 to deny any involvement with this West Shore project, even after ThinkEco Power Inc and our partners have met up with them on three separate occasions and they have affirmed their support,” Kong said in a statement to the Times Colonist.
“This is disappointing and irresponsible for a Crown corporation, especially since this is a very strategic project that will benefit a large Canadian population in a provincial capital that has to deal with ugly traffic problems for many decades.”
Kong said ThinkEco remains committed to privately funding and moving the pilot project forward, with or without CIB.
He said ThinkEco and Evie Autonomous Ltd. signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on research and development, and manufacturing of personal rapid transit and ultra-light rail train systems in Canada.
Evie Autonomous is a U.K.-based company involved in the supply, design and manufacturing of rail and personal rapid transit — small low-capacity autonomous vehicles that operate on guideways, sometimes called podcars — and has an on-going partnership with the Very Light Rail innovation centre in Coventry, England, where tracks and cars are undergoing testing.
Kong said Evie is behind the design and development of the autonomous pods that have been running successfully at Terminal 5 in Heathrow Airport in London. He said Evie Capital Services, a subsidiary of Evie Autonomous, is prepared to financially back the West Shore project by way of leasing and other finance options.
Kong’s company and officials from Penmark, an English rail consulting firm involved in the Coventry Very Light Rail project, said the system would use lighter-gauge tracks and concrete slabs that can be installed at a quarter of the cost of conventional rail.
Trains would be battery-operated, bi-directional, and subject to less friction and wear.
Kong said the track system uses patented concrete slabs that can be laid at depths of less than 30 centimetres, avoiding the need to uproot utility systems, and can be laid in weeks at a cost of about $20 million per kilometre.
View Royal Mayor Sid Tobias said he supports the idea of testing new green technology that would alleviate traffic congestion and pollution — as long as it comes at no cost to taxpayers.
Council directed staff to produce a report of potential sites for a testing run, but finding a stretch of two to three kilometres to accommodate the train’s maximum speed of 90 km/h — including starting and slowing to a stop as well as safety clearances — is proving difficult.
Staff evaluated the town’s roads in relation to a testing stretch, considering conflict points such as driveways and pinch points, road right-of-way space, traffic impact and other characteristics of the roads, and found no road corridors that meet the evaluation criteria, said a July 11 report to council.
“However, there may be other avenues to consider, such as the Galloping Goose Regional Trail, Highway 1, or a viable partnership with adjacent municipal roads.”
Staff recommended that ThinkEco Power Ltd. consider engaging with neighbouring municipalities and the Transportation Ministry to find a viable site.
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