this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2023
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Trains Canada
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What, there are still passenger railways on Vancouver Island?
I thought the train track from Victoria up through to Campbell River was the only one that ever had passenger service, and that ended around 2008. (It's still there, but it's growing weedier every year and the company that owns it refuses to sell for any reasonable price to anyone who would want to revive it, I heard. But don't quote me.)
My wife and I got to ride it once, from Victoria to Chemainus, it was nice. I was sad they shut it down. I think it would be great for tourism to open up that route again, so long as it were affordable.
Passenger service ended in 2011 and freight shortly after. Up until a year or 2 ago it was still being mostly maintained, but I believe there are a few obstructions and washouts just north of Victoria as well as both a bridge and crossing gate not being replaced in Shawnigan Lake after they were each knocked down by trucks. There is a small section of track still operational in Nanaimo, but it's only a few kilometers from the rail barge terminal to some industrial parks for things like propane.
Oh! Neat. I wish someday it could all run again... would be lovely to take a train trip from Courtenay to Victoria and back.
Hopefully those carbrains don’t rip out the tracks for their trails idea. Trains are so much more efficient and we have enough trails already.