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Railway groups disappointed with premierB次元官网网址檚 comments

Advocates maintain rail is still best option
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Railway advocates are concerns about the premierB次元官网网址檚 remarks advocating for buses over trains. (File photo)

Railway supporters on the Island are still confident about the revival of passenger rail service, despite statements by Premier John Horgan that indicated the government may be leaning towards expanding bus service instead.

Horgan told business representatives earlier this week that a proposal to establish a light-rail service in the south Island doesnB次元官网网址檛 have a business case to support it, and that the government is more interested in building bus lanes.

On Wednesday, Transportation Minister Claire Trevena wouldnB次元官网网址檛 totally rule out the idea of getting train service going again on the E&N, but said addressing traffic woes from Langford into Victoria as quickly as possible is the focus.

B次元官网网址淭he premierB次元官网网址檚 statement that we need to get moving is right. But weB次元官网网址檝e also got to realize, itB次元官网网址檚 a once-in-a-generation opportunity. WeB次元官网网址檝e got this corridor that really needs to be used to the best of its ability,B次元官网网址 she said. B次元官网网址淲e need to get moving as fast as possible. The premier has given his preference, and that is clearly something that is going to be taken very seriously.B次元官网网址

Duncan Mayor Phil Kent is also the vice-chairman of the Island Corridor Foundation which owns the deteriorating 220-kilometre rail line that stretches from Victoria to Courtenay.

He said he would be disappointed if HorganB次元官网网址檚 dismissal of light trains in the south Island in favour of more bus routes was the governmentB次元官网网址檚 final answer to the whole train debate.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e met twice with Transportation Minister Claire Trevena and have requested meetings with the premier on the issue,B次元官网网址 he said.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not looking to solve all the transportation problems on the Island with rail, but itB次元官网网址檚 certainly a viable option in most cases. We just donB次元官网网址檛 know whatB次元官网网址檚 in the premierB次元官网网址檚 mind until we talk to him. We encourage the premier to talk to all the leaders on the Island to get their perspective and not just listen to a few specific people.B次元官网网址

When asked Wednesday about plans for the rail corridor north of Victoria, Trevena had no definitive answer.

B次元官网网址淲e have to talk to the Island Corridor Foundation,B次元官网网址 she said. B次元官网网址淲e also know that there have been questions from First Nations further up the corridor about access to the corridor. So it really is extremely complicated.B次元官网网址

She said the government is looking at other forms of transit for the corridor, and that a conclusion is B次元官网网址渧ery likelyB次元官网网址 to be in favour of buses.

Jack Peake is a founding member of the recently formed E&N Railway Roundtable which is committed to coordinating efforts throughout the Island to help preserve and revive the E&N Railway.

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He said he and other rail advocates had met with Horgan numerous times before he became premier and he was positive and upbeat at the time about reviving the entire E&N Corridor for train traffic.

Peake also said he and representatives from Cowichan Tribes met with the transportation minister on May 14 and Trevena asked pertinent questions about plans to revitalize the corridor and requested future meetings in which more information would be provided.

B次元官网网址淪he invited us to meet after a rally to support the rail line in Langford about three weeks ago,B次元官网网址 Peake said.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 believe the minister and the premier talked about this before Horgan made his statements. The timing of this is atrocious but I believe the premier was just talking off the cuff.B次元官网网址

Peake said that despite his concerns, heB次元官网网址檚 heartened that Horgan was referring to not being in support of establishing a light-train system for passengers in the south Island, which has little to do with what his group, and the Island Corridor Foundation, are proposing.

Light rail is a passenger train powered by overhead electrical wires which has a lighter frame and smaller body than most other trains.

B次元官网网址淎 light-rail system would require a complete restructuring of the railway line while what weB次元官网网址檙e talking about is restoring whatB次元官网网址檚 already there,B次元官网网址 he said.

B次元官网网址淚t wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be a high cost and itB次元官网网址檚 estimated it would take about $14 million to restore the railway line from Victoria to Langford. What would be ideal is to restore the railway and borrow a few coaches from the West Coast Express (a commuter railway serving the Lower Mainland) for this passenger line. We could move hundreds of people every day. WeB次元官网网址檙e not done yet and more rallies are being planned.B次元官网网址

Passenger train service on the E&N rail line was stopped in 2011 due to track safety concerns, and freight service has also been discontinued between Duncan and Parksville.

Both the province and Ottawa tentatively agreed several years ago to fund $7.5 million each towards the initiative, with local governments agreeing to come up with approximately $5 million, but ongoing court cases and government delays kept the project from proceeding.

The ICF presented a new upgraded $42.7-million proposal to the new NDP government last November, with the hopes that senior levels of government would split the costs, that would pay for major track upgrades between Nanaimo and Victoria, which is considered to be phase one of the overall project.

The new proposal would focus on service only between Nanaimo and Victoria and would provide inter-city Via passenger rail service, a tourist excursion train between the Nanaimo cruise ship terminal and Chemainus and an expansion of the currently operating freight service.

It would also provide the infrastructure support for a trial RDC commuter service between Victoria and Langford which the Capital Regional District would operate.

Neither the province or Ottawa has committed to the new project.

B次元官网网址擶ith a file from Tom Fletcher



robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com

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Robert Barron

About the Author: Robert Barron

Since 2016, I've had had the pleasure of working with our dedicated staff and community in the Cowichan Valley.
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