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Discussion of Canadian Passenger Rail Services such as AMT (Montreal), Go Transit (Toronto), VIA Rail, and other Canadian Railways and Transit

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 #1478908  by MikeCDN
 
What ever happened to the efforts to restore passenger service on Vancouver Island?

How and why was it left to disrepair?

M.
 #1478934  by mdvle
 
Simple answer - no business case for the line to exist.

There is no freight demand, which would mean passenger would have to pick up the full costs, which simply isn't a viable option.
 #1479957  by Tadman
 
It's a shame they can't figure out how to make the E&N work. The last thing you want is the island full of rental cars. Especially given that one has to use public transport to reach the island, by ferry or air, it would make a lot of sense to keep people on public transport.
 #1480008  by ExCon90
 
Probably not worth the investment necessary to provide a marketable frequency of service; one or two trips a day wouldn't get people out of rental cars.
 #1480019  by Mark0f0
 
How full did the VIA service ever run anyways?
 #1480053  by R36 Combine Coach
 
The new Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria (completed 2018) apparently has no provisions for rail service. Was this deliberate (as the engineers knew rail service was not coming back), or just a consensus/shortcoming on the design to focus on pedestrian, bike and vehicle traffic? The bridge began construction in 2013, when the official policy statement of VIA was "[we] would resume service as soon as the track was brought back to safe operating standards and that is still our intent" (2013 annual meeting).
 #1480089  by marquisofmississauga
 
There was talk of a commuter service on the south end of the line. Both RDCs and LRTs were being discussed. The Premier has been quoted as saying there is no business case for LRT service into Victoria. When even the NDP is against passenger rail service there is no hope.

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/horg ... -1.3933348" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1480090  by chriskay
 
Doing a quick fly-over on Google Maps it appears the only rail that was there before was a short stub section serving only the tiny bus shelter-like station. My guess is they determined that building a new rail bridge for that wouldn't be worth it - there appears to be room in the vicinity of the E&N roundhouse for a new station, potentially.

Just a guess.
 #1480505  by marquisofmississauga
 
chriskay wrote:Doing a quick fly-over on Google Maps it appears the only rail that was there before was a short stub section serving only the tiny bus shelter-like station. My guess is they determined that building a new rail bridge for that wouldn't be worth it - there appears to be room in the vicinity of the E&N roundhouse for a new station, potentially.

Just a guess.
The VIA station was bigger than a bus shelter. It had an agent and, if my memory is correct, washrooms.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_station_(British_Columbia" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

In the 1970s the CPR disposed of their station in Victoria - which was on the opposite side of the track from where VIA built this station, I believe. The "new" CPR Victoria station was actually in Esquimalt. Does anyone remember if it was in the vicinity of the roundhouse and yard? I was pleased when VIA took over the service they restored service to Victoria.
 #1480916  by TomNelligan
 
Here's a photo of the modest structure near the E&N yard that served as VIA's Victoria's station as of September 1980. Was this actually built as a rail station or was it a converted yard office?

I remember a great ride that day since the friendly crew allowed me to ride in the cab of the Budd for much of the southbound trip out of Courtenay. Things were less formal back then!
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