TransLink upgrading air filters on West Coast Express
Posted March 6, 2017 11:58 am.
Last Updated March 6, 2017 12:13 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MISSION (NEWS 1130) – TransLink is upgrading the air filters on its West Coast Express trains after a University of Toronto study found carcinogenic diesel exhaust could be seeping into passenger cars. The change is being made thanks to a story you read here on NEWS1130.com.
Chris Bryan with the transit authority says they’ll continue to work with the U of T to make sure the filters are working. “All our trains now have high-efficiency filters in the intakers for the passenger coaches which reduces particulate by 80 per cent.”
The study found carcinogenic diesel exhaust was seeping into GO Transit trains in Ontario and the same issue was likely happening on most North American commuter trains that use diesel engines.
Bryan adds they’ll stay in touch with the folks at GO Transit. “As they go through the follow-up study of this and if we identify anything else that needs changing then we’ll definitely make that happen.”
The study says transit companies can do more to reduce risks by buying more-modern locomotives or making a line fully-electric, but TransLink says it has no plans to overhaul or replace any of its engines at this time.
The research is some of the first ever to look at the issue of pollutant exposure inside commuter trains. TransLink’s West Coast Express fleet of F59PHI diesel-electric locomotives is not modern enough to meet Tier 4 standards laid out by the Environmental Protection Agency.
