TransLink converts West Coast Express commuter train to renewable diesel

West Coast Express trains in Vancouver in an undated file photo.

TransLink says it is one step closer to meeting its net-zero emissions targets after converting its West Coast Express commuter trains between Vancouver and the Fraser Valley to renewable diesel fuel.

The transit authority says the renewable fuel – which is created from organic waste, such as cooking oil and waste animal fats, and burns cleaner than traditional diesel – will deliver a 97 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across its lifecycle compared to fossil fuels.

"Converting the West Coast Express to renewable diesel is an important step towards achieving a zero-emission future," Kevin Quinn, CEO of TransLink, said in a statement announcing the fuel conversion Wednesday.

The company estimates the conversion will deliver a 3,200-tonne annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, or the equivalent of taking 940 cars off the road per year.

TransLink's net-zero strategy includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions across its operations by 45 per cent by 2030 and achieving a fully net-zero emissions system by 2050.

Included in that strategy is a plan to reduce emissions across TransLink's bus fleet – by far the company's largest GHG emitter – to zero by 2040. TransLink said Wednesday it remains committed to meeting that target

The transit operator converted its first bus depot to renewable diesel fuel last December. The transition of the Surrey Transit Centre was followed earlier this year by similar transitions at the company's Vancouver and Port Coquitlam transit centres.

The company's first all-electric transit centre is currently under construction in Vancouver's Marpole neighbourhood, with an expected completion date of 2027. TransLink currently maintains a fleet of approximately 280 battery-powered and electric trolley buses.