A rift has formed between Western University administrators and its student leadership over London’s proposed light rail system, which calls for trains cutting through campus.

Western’s student government loves the light rail plan, with some members viewing school officials as out-of-touch and putting the campus esthetic ahead of students’ transit needs.

Meanwhile, school brass believes it presents major concerns and could cost the school millions of dollars.

While they aren’t explicitly ruling out light rail on campus, there are clear signs of resistance to what would be London’s biggest-ever infrastructure project.

“We support rapid transit,” Gitta Kulczycki, Western’s vice-president of resources and operations, told The Free Press after hosting a two-hour town hall on the issue Tuesday.

That, however, could be interpreted as support for bus-only rapid transit.

Asked specifically if Western supports light rail, she said: “We support rapid transit. I think that — we support rapid transit and the efforts to (build) rapid ­transit.”

Sophie Helpard, president of the University Students’ Council, sounded a different note on light rail and Western.

“We do support the light rail option. It meets the standards our students are setting,” said the 21-year-old Welland native. “A lot of our students are from communities where they expect this kind of efficient and effective ­transportation.”

Asked if there’s a disconnect between administration and students on the issue, Helpard agreed.

“The university obviously does have sometimes trouble with students and hearing their personal stories about trying to use transportation in the city,” she said. “The university has some work to do with consulting with these students.”

In Tuesday’s two-hour town hall — which drew about 100 staff, faculty and students — Western clarified specific light rail concerns:

Noise and vibration from the trains may affect classrooms and other facilities

Electro-magnetic interference may affect nearby research labs

It cost the University of Minnesota nearly $50 million to mitigate those issues, they say.

They say Western would be among the first universities in North America to have rail running through campus.

Student safety is paramount, especially after the recent on-campus death of a student pedestrian

City hall was represented at the event by planning boss John Fleming and Doug MacRae of the engineering department.

While the student government is fully behind light rail, that view isn’t unanimous among students. Some who are conducting research about pedestrian safety on campus attended Tuesday’s meeting and expressed concerns.

“Not only am I worried about getting hit by a car, but now by a train, too,” one student said.

A university staffer expressed a much different view on the role light rail could play in changing campus life: “I guarantee you students would live downtown if they had an easier way to get here.”

A lack of participation by Western University could be devastating to London’s light rail dreams — which, to be clear, have not been funded or even given final approval by city council.

There are questions whether London has ridership large enough to make high-capacity light rail trains financially viable, or whether taxpayers would have to subsidize the operation.

But it’s likely there would be significant ridership issues if Western students weren’t heavy users.

pmaloney@postmedia.com

twitter.com/patatLFPress

Rapid transit basics