BC Conservatives and NDP Compete with SkyTrain Promises Ahead of Election

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Both the BC Conservatives and the New Democrats have pledged to extend the SkyTrain into Newton, aiming to gain voter support in Surrey ahead of the provincial election on October 24.

In a competitive bid for votes in Surrey, British Columbia, both the New Democrats (NDP) and the British Columbia Conservatives have made significant promises regarding the expansion of the SkyTrain transit line into the Newton area. The announcements came just days before the provincial election scheduled for October 24, showcasing the importance of transit issues in the election campaign.
On Tuesday, the two parties issued news releases almost simultaneously, committing to develop a SkyTrain extension along the King George Boulevard corridor. NDP Leader David Eby highlighted that his party has allocated $250 million in their costed platform specifically for the transit expansion to Newton. Eby noted the collaboration with the newly elected mayor of Surrey, Doug McCallum, emphasizing their joint commitment to extending the SkyTrain to Langley and now to Newton.
Eby pointed out the existing infrastructure that could facilitate the project, mentioning a large factory that is already manufacturing the necessary concrete components for the SkyTrain. He argued that this would significantly reduce costs for the Newton extension compared to initiating a new project from the ground up.
In contrast, the Conservatives have also promised to collaborate with the federal government to secure funding and build rapid transit along the King George corridor, extending the SkyTrain to Newton. Their statement highlighted a longstanding neglect of the Newton area concerning rapid transit, pointing out that after the light rail plans were scrapped in 2018, residents have been left waiting for eight years without any concrete transit plans.
During a separate campaign event in Kelowna, Eby acknowledged that there had been an earlier proposal for light rail to Newton. However, he noted that McCallum, the then-mayor, opted for the SkyTrain, and the NDP subsequently aligned with this vision. Eby was in Kelowna to announce a $30 million commitment for developing an inpatient unit at the Kelowna General Hospital, a plan that had been in the works before the election call.
Eby criticized the Conservative platform for lacking detailed financial outlines for their major campaign promises, including the SkyTrain expansion to Newton. The Conservatives did not provide specific figures in their platform but indicated that they would support transit expansion based on community needs. Their approach outlines commitments to future corridors, rail capacity, and necessary grade separations, with capital costs to be determined on a project-by-project basis through business cases, funded through a new capital plan involving federal, municipal, and private contributions.
As the election approaches, Elections BC reported a decrease of about eight percent in the number of ballots cast during the first three days of advance polls compared to the previous election in 2024. Approximately 440,000 votes were recorded from Friday to Sunday, representing about 12 percent of registered voters. Early voting will continue at various locations across the province until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, just days before the final voting day on Saturday.

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