by Amtrak7
VIA press release
An inspection of the tracks and structures between Victoria and Nanaimo was conducted jointly over the last two days by Southern Railway of Vancouver Island (SRVI), the BC Safety Authority, the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and VIA. Following that inspection, SRVI informed VIA of its decision that significant infrastructure improvement will be required before passenger rail service can resume on this route.Times Colonist news article
VIA will continue to offer a replacement chartered motorcoach service between Victoria and Courtenay. This service has been place since March 21, when SRVI track maintenance work on the rail line first began. VIA had been planning to reinstate partial service on April 8.
The iconic Esquimalt & Nanaimo Dayliner is parked indefinitely.The article goes on to say that another 104,000 ties need to be replaced and a $15 million grant is necessary to pay for that. Also, neither of these articles mention the closure of the Johnson Street Bridge to rail traffic, another problem that must be dealt with if and when service resumes.
Service was suspended on March 19 while crews inspected and replaced 1,500 railway ties.
A limited passenger service between Victoria and Nanaimo, shortening the long-standing Victoria-Courtenay run, was planned for this Saturday.
But Graham Bruce, executive director of the Island Corridor Foundation, said Wednesday that the plan has been shelved. The move followed an inspection Tuesday that deemed the track to be in worse shape than expected.