The Island Rail Corridor, previously the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N Railway), is a railway operation on Vancouver Island and is the only remaining railway on
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
after the closure of the
Englewood Railway
Englewood Railway was a logging railroad on northern Vancouver Island, Canada. Headquartered in Woss, British Columbia, the line ran from Vernon Lake, through Woss, and past Nimpkish Lake Provincial Park to Beaver Cove. It was the last operati ...
in November 2017. The
Island Corridor Foundation
The Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) is a Canadian non-profit that owns all former Canadian Pacific and Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N) track on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The foundation was created in 2003 and gained the first of t ...
owns the former
Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway
The Island Rail Corridor, previously the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N Railway), is a railway operation on Vancouver Island and is the only remaining railway on Vancouver Island after the closure of the Englewood Railway in November 2017. T ...
corridor. The railway line is in length from
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
to
Courtenay, known as the Victoria Subdivision, with a
branch line
A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line.
Industrial spur
An industri ...
from
Parksville to
Port Alberni
Port Alberni () is a city located on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The city lies within the Alberni Valley at the head of the Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island's longest inlet. It is the location of the head offices o ...
known as the Port Alberni Subdivision at in length, for a total of mainline track. In 2006, the
Island Corridor Foundation
The Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) is a Canadian non-profit that owns all former Canadian Pacific and Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N) track on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The foundation was created in 2003 and gained the first of t ...
acquired the railway's ownership from the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
.
Both freight service and the
crown corporation
A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the governmen ...
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...
passenger service have been suspended due to deferred maintenance on the rail line.
History
Vancouver Island joining Canada
The history of an island railway and a functioning island railway in perpetuity, started with the
colony of Vancouver Island joining British Columbia in 1866, and the
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation (french: Confédération canadienne, link=no) was the process by which three British North American provinces, the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were united into one federation called the Canada, Dom ...
of 1867, and the incorporation of
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
into Canada in 1871. The terms of union required that within two years, the federal government was to start the construction of a railway from the "seaboard of British Columbia" joining the new province and Victoria with the
railway system of Canada. On its part, British Columbia was to grant a band of public land of up to in width along either side of the railway line to the federal government for it to use in furtherance of the construction of the railway. The Pacific terminus of the railway was not specific but the proposed plan would have the railway cross the
Rockies
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Can ...
by the
Yellowhead Pass
The Yellowhead Pass is a mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Americas in the Canadian Rockies. It is located on the provincial boundary between the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, and lies within Jasper Nat ...
and reach the BC coast at
Bute Inlet
, image = Bute Inlet.jpg
, image_size = 260px
, alt =
, caption =
, image_bathymetry =
, alt_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Strathcona RD, British Col ...
. It would cross
Sonora Island
Sonora Island is one of the outer islands (without ferry service) of the Discovery Islands of British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the eastern end of Johnstone Strait and the northern end of Discovery Passage within Electoral Area C of the ...
and
Quadra Island
Quadra Island is a large island off the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Discovery Islands, in the Strathcona Regional District.
Etymology
In 1903, the island was named after the Peruvian Spanish n ...
and reach Vancouver Island by a bridge across
Seymour Narrows
Seymour Narrows is a section of the Discovery Passage in British Columbia known for strong tidal currents. Discovery Passage lies between Vancouver Island at Menzies Bay, British Columbia and Quadra Island except at its northern end where the ea ...
. Through the influence of then BC Premier
Amor de Cosmos
Amor De Cosmos (born William Alexander Smith; August 20, 1825 – July 4, 1897) was a Canadian journalist, publisher and politician. He served as the second premier of British Columbia.
Early life
Amor De Cosmos was born William Alexander Smith ...
, this plan was adopted by
Order in Council
An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' Ki ...
by the federal government on 7 June 1873. Two shipments of rail were even delivered to Victoria from the United Kingdom. In 1873,
Prime Minister of Canada
The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Hou ...
Sir John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald (January 10 or 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, he had a political career that sp ...
had stated that
Esquimalt
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de ...
, the site of a
naval base
A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that us ...
, would be the terminus of the "Pacific Railway". However, both the federal government and the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
placed a low priority on construction of an island railway, as it had low traffic potential and would duplicate an existing steamer service.
In 1874 British Columbia threatened to withdraw from Confederation and Premier
Walkem petitioned
the Queen
In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to:
* Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death
The Queen may also refer to:
* Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
for relief from these delays. Then Prime Minister
Alexander Mackenzie
and Walkem agreed to accept arbitration of the dispute by the
Earl of Carnarvon
Earl of Carnarvon is a title that has been created three times in British history. The current holder is George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon. The town and county in Wales to which the title refers are historically spelled ''Caernarfon,'' havi ...
, the
Colonial Secretary. His award, given 17 November 1874 gave an extension of time for the construction and required that a railway be built from Esquimalt to
Nanaimo
Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...
. Despite the promises of both parties to be bound by his ruling, the federal government bill approving the award failed in the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. British Columbians were indignant and withdrawal from Confederation was raised again.
The father of Canadian Confederation Sir
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald (January 10 or 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, he had a political career that sp ...
in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
in 1881 gave a speech on the CPR and criticized
Alexander Mackenzie for tinkering with the preconditions of British Columbia and Vancouver Island uniting with Canada. The old chieftain said, "Both the Government of which I was the head and the Government of which he was the head were bound by the original resolutions." Macdonald said,"It was admitted that it was a sacred obligation; it was admitted that there was a treaty made with British Columbia, with the people and the Government of British Columbia, and not only was it an agreement and a solemn bargain made between Canada and British Columbia, but it was formally sanctioned by Her Majesty's Government. It was a matter of Colonial policy and Imperial policy in England that the road should be constructed."
Land grants
Coal Baron Robert Dunsmuir
Robert Dunsmuir
Robert Dunsmuir (August 31, 1825April 12, 1889) was a Scottish-Canadian coal mine developer, owner and operator, railway developer, industrialist and politician in British Columbia.
He was recognized as a National Historic Person by the governm ...
, the
Nanaimo
Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
baron and a member of the provincial legislature, was interested in owning the railway project and in the province's coal reserves. The fact that Dunsmuir was a member of the provincial government that was making the deal aroused some suspicion about corruption. Dunsmuir and three partners (
Charles Crocker
Charles Crocker (September 16, 1822 – August 14, 1888) was an American railroad executive who was one of the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad, which constructed the westernmost portion of the first transcontinental railroad, and took ...
,
Collis P. Huntington
Collis Potter Huntington (October 22, 1821 – August 13, 1900) was an American industrialist and railway magnate. He was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker) who invested ...
and
Leland Stanford
Amasa Leland Stanford (March 9, 1824June 21, 1893) was an American industrialist and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 8th governor of California from 1862 to 1863 and represented California in the United States Se ...
of California) incorporated the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (less formally the E&N Railway) with Dunsmuir president and owner of one half of the shares. The company estimated that it would cost $1.5 million to construct. Dunsmuir planned to integrate the railway with the systems being built in
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
and
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
with a
ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
link from Victoria.
![Island Rail Corridor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Island_Rail_Corridor.jpg)
The
first Prime Minister gave
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
the choice of Dunsmuir or Lewis M. Clement of
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, Chief Engineer of the Western Division of the
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was a U.S. railroad that owned or operated two disjointed segments, one connecting St. Louis, Missouri with Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the other connecting Albuquerque, New Mexico with Needles in Southern California ...
, for the contract. Dusmuir travelled to Ottawa in 1882 with letters of introduction from
John Hamilton Gray John Hamilton Gray may refer to two 19th-century Canadian politicians:
*John Hamilton Gray (Prince Edward Island politician) (1811–1887), Premier of Prince Edward Island
*John Hamilton Gray (New Brunswick politician) (1814–1889), Premier of New ...
, one of the
Fathers of Confederation
The Fathers of Confederation are the 36 people who attended at least one of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864 (23 attendees), the Quebec Conference of 1864 (33 attendees), and the London Conference of 1866 (16 attendees), preceding Canadian ...
and
Joseph Trutch
Sir Joseph William Trutch, (18 January 1826 – 4 March 1904) was an United Kingdom, English-born Canadians, Canadian engineer, surveying, surveyor and politician who served as first Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
Early life and ...
the first
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
The lieutenant governor of British Columbia () is the viceregal representative of the , in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The office of lieutenant governor is an office of the Crown and serves as a representative of the monarchy in ...
, both men in favour with Macdonald. After a visit to Ottawa, to present himself directly for this project, Dunsmuir went off to
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. While in Scotland, Dunsmuir received the news that the provincial government had chosen the Vancouver Land and Railway Company controlled by Clement for the job. Dunsmuir was surprised that Clement would take the contract without a cash grant in addition to the land and commit to building the railway to
Seymour Narrows
Seymour Narrows is a section of the Discovery Passage in British Columbia known for strong tidal currents. Discovery Passage lies between Vancouver Island at Menzies Bay, British Columbia and Quadra Island except at its northern end where the ea ...
, near
Campbell River. When Clement and his company failed to come up with the necessary financial security, Macdonald quickly moved to accept Dunsmuir's terms.
Settler rights
The court ruled that this grant did not entitle the railway to dispossess existing settlers. The company applied for compensation and received a further grant of between
Crown Mountain and Seymour Narrows. In 1883, the
British Columbia government
The Executive Council of British Columbia (the Cabinet) is the Cabinet of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Almost always composed of members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, the Cabinet is similar in structure and ro ...
signed a contract with Dunsmuir to build a railway between Esquimalt and Nanaimo in exchange for the same grant of land that Clement had negotiated, amounting to plus a cash grant of $750,000 from the federal government. Based on an average value of $10 per acre for the land the E&N received, it cost the government $626,660 per mile to build the railway, which, when complete, was in private hands. The railway was given a massive amount of
old-growth forest
An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...
. Proceeds from the land grants helped build
Craigdarroch Castle
Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, is a historic, Victorian-era Scottish Baronial mansion. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada due to its landmark status in Victoria.
History
It was constructed in the ...
. The grant amounted to almost 10% of
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
and included mineral rights and all known coal deposits. The land grants to the E&N railway from 1884 to 1925 amounted to 20% of Vancouver Island. The company was to receive a grant with the following boundaries (Muir Creek is about west of
Sooke
Sooke is a district municipality on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada, by road from Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Sooke, the westernmost of Greater Victoria's Western Communities, is to the north and west of the Sooke Ba ...
):
:On the south by a straight line drawn from the head of Saanich Inlet
, image = Saanich Inlet from Gowlland Tod Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, Canada 13.jpg
, image_size = 260px
, caption = Saanich Inlet from Gowlland Tod Provincial Park
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Northwest o ...
to Muir Creek, on the Straits of Fuca:
:On the west, by a straight line drawn from Muir Creek, aforesaid, to Crown Mountain:
:On the north, by a straight line drawn from Crown Mountain to Seymour Narrows
Seymour Narrows is a section of the Discovery Passage in British Columbia known for strong tidal currents. Discovery Passage lies between Vancouver Island at Menzies Bay, British Columbia and Quadra Island except at its northern end where the ea ...
: and
:On the east, by the coast line of Vancouver Island to the point of commencement.
The grant was facilitated by BC's introduction of the Settlement Act (An Act relating to the Island Railway, the Graving Dock and the Railway Lands of the Province) in December 1883, in which surface rights of existing "squatters" were acknowledged and protected.
Construction
The last spike was gold and the hammer was silver. On 13 August 1886, the last spike was driven at
Cliffside, about north of Victoria. Construction of the island railway took three and a half years. Prime Minister Macdonald drove the last spike, during his only visit to British Columbia. The railway was extended to Dunsmuir's mine at
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
in 1887, and into Victoria in 1888. It was extended west to
Port Alberni
Port Alberni () is a city located on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The city lies within the Alberni Valley at the head of the Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island's longest inlet. It is the location of the head offices o ...
in 1911, west to
Lake Cowichan
Lake Cowichan (Nitinaht: ʕaʔk̓ʷaq c̓uubaʕsaʔtx̣) (pop. 2,974) is a town located on the east end of Cowichan Lake and, by highway, is west of Duncan, British Columbia. The town of Lake Cowichan was incorporated in 1944. The Cowichan Ri ...
in 1912, and north to
Courtenay in 1914. The E&N Railway was to have been built all the way to
Campbell River, but that plan fell through due to the outbreak of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
The present-day bridge north of Victoria, over Niagara Creek Canyon (), formerly
crossed the Fraser River at
Cisco, BC, and was moved here ca.1910. The cantilever suspension bridge was pre-fabricated in England in 1883 and shipped to Canada. It replaced the original wooden trestle bridge, which was damaged in a washout on 12 November 1886.
CPR years
In 1905, Robert Dunsmuir’s son
James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir (July 8, 1851 – June 6, 1920) was a Canadian industrialist and politician in British Columbia. He served as the 14th premier of British Columbia from 1900 to 1902 and the eighth lieutenant governor of British Columbia from 19 ...
(former Premier and soon-to-be Lieutenant Governor) sold the E&N Railway to the Canadian Pacific Railway. The CPR built the railroad to
Lake Cowichan
Lake Cowichan (Nitinaht: ʕaʔk̓ʷaq c̓uubaʕsaʔtx̣) (pop. 2,974) is a town located on the east end of Cowichan Lake and, by highway, is west of Duncan, British Columbia. The town of Lake Cowichan was incorporated in 1944. The Cowichan Ri ...
,
Port Alberni
Port Alberni () is a city located on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The city lies within the Alberni Valley at the head of the Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island's longest inlet. It is the location of the head offices o ...
,
Parksville,
Qualicum Beach :''"Qualicum" re-directs here. For the neighbourhood in Ottawa, see Qualicum, Ottawa''
Qualicum Beach () is a town located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. In the 2021 census, it had a population of 9,303. It is situated at the fo ...
, and
Courtenay. At its peak, the railroad had 45 stations on the main line, 36 stations on the Cowichan line, and 8 stations on the Port Alberni line.
Between 1905 and 1999, the E&N Railway was owned and operated by the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
.
Via Rail
Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...
took over operation of CPR's passenger train service, called ''
The Malahat'', in 1978, while CPR demarketed its freight operation, claiming that freight traffic was declining. In 1996, CPR reorganized the E&N as an "internal short line" named E&N Railfreight while the
railbarge operations were sold to
Seaspan Intermodal. In early 1999, shortline operator
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, was a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada.
In 2007, RailAmerica was acquired by Fortress Investment Group. Before that, it t ...
purchased the route from Nanaimo to Port Alberni, and leased the balance of the line. At that time, approximately 8,500 carloads of forest and paper products, minerals, and chemicals were transported by the Southern Vancouver Island Railway each year.
RailAmerica
In 1998, CPR sold the middle part of the corridor to RailAmerica. Despite the purchase by RailAmerica, freight traffic continued to decline and the future of the E&N was still in doubt. RailAmerica sought a sale for its acquisition due to unprofitably and deferred maintenance issues. Restrictions from Canadian Pacific on the lease/sale agreement, and major reconstruction of
Highway 1
The following highways are numbered 1.
For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads.
For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads.
For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads.
For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads.
For roads numbered ...
from Victoria to Nanaimo and
the new freeway from Nanaimo to Campbell River, led to reduced driving times for the full length of the E&N. This development also affected the privately owned rail line, which did not have the benefit of the provincial subsidies accorded to its competing highways. Freight traffic dropped to about 2,000 carloads a year after the loss of their largest freight customer, a
Catalyst Paper
Catalyst Paper Corporation is a pulp and paper company based in Richmond, British Columbia. It operates five pulp mills and paper mills, producing a combined 1.8 million tonnes of paper and 491,000 tonnes of market pulp annually. The mills mostl ...
pulp mill
A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fiber sources into a thick fiber board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical, or ful ...
in Port Alberni. RailAmerica ceased to operate the E&N on 30 June 2006, with the Washington Group's
Southern Railway of British Columbia
The Southern Railway of British Columbia, branded as SRY Rail Link is a Canadian short line railway operating in southwestern British Columbia. The main facility is the port at Annacis Island with major import of cars, export of forestry produc ...
taking over operations the following day.
Pacific Wilderness Railway (PAW) tourist train
In the summers of 2000 and 2001, Ross Rowland managed on Vancouver Island the Pacific Wilderness Railway, which operated on the tracks of the E&N Railway from Victoria to the top of the nearby Malahat summit. The train consisted of
coach cars and a first-class
parlour car, which were pulled through Esquimalt,
View Royal
View Royal is a town in Greater Victoria and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. View Royal has a population of 10,858 residents. With over of parkland, View Royal includes Thetis, McKenzie, Pike a ...
and
Langford by one or two
GP20
An EMD GP20 is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between November 1959 and April 1962. Power was provided by an EMD 567D2 16-cylinder turbocharged engine which generated . EMD was initially hesi ...
s. The train would proceed to Malahat siding, where the locomotive(s) would quickly change ends, then pull the train back to Victoria.
Despite PAW's ad campaign promising grand views and stunning scenery, riders were often disappointed to discover that the views of Saanich Inlet were largely obscured by thick old growth forest along most of the route's right of way. Rowland attempted to remedy this situation by chopping down large portions of old growth trees along the Malahat portion of the right of way, but this only succeeded in incurring the wrath of area residents, without having much effect on the overall view. Questions were also raised about the Malahat being chosen as the northern terminus, due to its isolation. Apart from a shelter and platform that Rowland built in the wilderness with untreated lumber, the terminus lacked even basic service such as refreshments or washrooms.
VIA Rail
In 1978,
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...
assumed operational responsibility for the E&N Railway passenger service. Post ICF ownership, the rail operator agreement had the private company Southern Railway operate the daily inter-city passenger service from Victoria to Courtenay on behalf of VIA Rail. Train tickets had to be purchased three days in advance to avoid an increase in the cost of the fare. In 2011, due to the disrepair of the railway, VIA Rail and Southern Railway suspended the
Dayliner
The Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC, Budd car or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit (DMU) railcar. Between 1949 and 1962, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The cars were primarily ad ...
passenger service, the
Victoria–Courtenay train
The Victoria–Courtenay train (named the ''Malahat'' until 2009) was a passenger train service operated by Via Rail between Victoria, Nanaimo, and Courtenay on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The service operated over the Island Rail Corrid ...
indefinitely. The train had scheduled stops at
Duncan
Duncan may refer to:
People
* Duncan (given name), various people
* Duncan (surname), various people
* Clan Duncan
* Justice Duncan (disambiguation)
Places
* Duncan Creek (disambiguation)
* Duncan River (disambiguation)
* Duncan Lake (d ...
,
Nanaimo
Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...
, and
Parksville, with many other
flag stop
In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop is a stop or station at which buses or trains, respectively, stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers or freight to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, st ...
s (stops on request) along the way. VIA and Southern Railway did offer a bus service for several months after the closure, but the service was discontinued August 7, 2011. VIA's bus tickets had to be bought three days in advance and fewer than ten people a day used their temporary bus service. The VIA passenger service used
Budd-built
Rail Diesel Cars (Dayliners). Those rail cars are no longer on Vancouver Island, and at least one is now owned by
Rapido Trains, a model railroad company
Names
Until 1996, it was called the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (which it is still called by people living on the Island). It then spent three years as E&N Railfreight, an internal short line within then owner
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
. Operations were then sold to
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, was a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada.
In 2007, RailAmerica was acquired by Fortress Investment Group. Before that, it t ...
. The RailAmerica subsidiary was named E&N Railway Co (1998) Ltd. , thus maintaining the historic name associations for the Vancouver Island line. Currently, the right of way and rail line is owned by the
Island Corridor Foundation
The Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) is a Canadian non-profit that owns all former Canadian Pacific and Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N) track on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The foundation was created in 2003 and gained the first of t ...
and operated under contract by Southern Railway of British Columbia, a part of the
Washington Companies
The Washington Companies is the parent company of several independent entities. The company is privately held, and was founded by Dennis Washington. Current companies owned by The Washington Company include:
* Seaspan Corporation (shipping and sh ...
.
Island Corridor Foundation
Tax gift
The not for profit
Island Corridor Foundation
The Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) is a Canadian non-profit that owns all former Canadian Pacific and Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N) track on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The foundation was created in 2003 and gained the first of t ...
is a partnership between the
Cowichan Tribes
Cowichan Tribes ( hur, Quw’utsun) is the band government of the Cowichan, a group of Coast Salish peoples who live in the Cowichan Valley region on Vancouver Island. With over 3,800 registered members, it is the single largest First Nations ban ...
and local governments along the rail line. After years of work and negotiations, the ICF came to agreements with the Canadian Pacific Railway and with RailAmerica to hand over its Island rail assets to the foundation for tax credits.
In February 2006, the Canadian Pacific Railway donated its portion of the railway
right-of-way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
, which averages in width between Victoria and Courtenay, to the Island Corridor Foundation. The donation tax credit exchange was estimated to be valued at Cdn$236 million and encompasses of land, six historic railway stations and a number of trestles. In addition, CPR also supplied $2.3 million in "seed money" to the Foundation. Lands were also given that produce non-rail revenue generated by property leases and encroachments on the line.
On 22 March 2006, RailAmerica donated ownership of the Port Alberni to Nanaimo portion of the railway to the Island Corridor Foundation.
No trespassing policy
More people are starting to walk, hike and use off-road vehicles on the right of way Railway and ICF officials are asking people to stay off the tracks for their own safety.
Freight
ICF chose Southern Railway of British Columbia (SRY) to operate the Island railway on Vancouver Island, after ICF’s acquisition of the railroad. The operator agreement started on July 1, 2006. In January 2010, the
Southern Railway of British Columbia
The Southern Railway of British Columbia, branded as SRY Rail Link is a Canadian short line railway operating in southwestern British Columbia. The main facility is the port at Annacis Island with major import of cars, export of forestry produc ...
new train ferry terminal started operating in the
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual d ...
on
Annacis Island
Annacis Island is a narrow island under the jurisdiction of City of Delta in Lower Mainland, British Columbia, located just downstream of the south arm of the Fraser River bifurcation between Lulu Island to the north and the Delta peninsula to t ...
shipping to Nanaimo via the
Seaspan
Seaspan ULC (formerly Seaspan Marine Corporation) provides marine-related services to the Pacific Northwest. Within the Group are three shipyards, an intermodal ferry and car float business, and also a tug and barge transportation company that ...
train ferry
A train ferry is a ship (ferry) designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train f ...
. The new train marine terminal was built with the help of $4.6 million in federal funding and cost $11 million. It increases the mainland's capacity and speed to load and unload railcar barges from the island.
The amount of freight traffic in 2008 and 2009 was about 1,000 cars per year. According to the Rule of 100, a generally accepted economic formula for short-line railways, a minimum of 100 freight cars per mile a year is required before a line is profitable due to depreciation accounting. The old E&N route averages about 6.6 cars per mile. The ICF has estimated there is a potential business of 22,000 rail cars of freight each year on Vancouver Island.
An ICF development strategies report estimated that 35,000 to 40,000 carloads per year, as the amount of business that would be required to bear the full capital cost of upgrading the railroad and maintain operations on a sustainable basis. If the capital costs of upgrading the railway are excluded, the business of 8,000 carloads per year would be required to pay for basic operating and maintenance costs. The most significant potential revenue is the
Raven coal mine
The Raven coal mine is a proposed mining project in British Columbia undergoing a joint federal/provincial review. It involves Compliance Energy Corp (a small Canadian mining company) and partners Itochu Corporation (Japan) and LG International (Ko ...
(west of
Fanny Bay
Fanny Bay is a small hamlet in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located on Baynes Sound on the east coast of Vancouver Island. In 2001, its population was listed as 815. It is best known for its fine oysters. The area is served b ...
) needing up to 10,000 carloads per year. The foundation report noted the market potential for sourcing of aggregates like gravel for the Victoria market from alternative reserves up-Island. However, this market would be extremely competitive due to the availability of shipments of aggregate by barge from the Lehigh Materials (part of Lehigh Hanson) facility in
Sechelt
Sechelt (, Shishalh language chat'lich) is a district municipality located on the lower Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Approximately 50 km northwest of Vancouver, it is accessible from mainland British Columbia by a 40-minute ferry tr ...
and the new
Johnson Street Bridge
Four known bridges have spanned the narrows between the Inner Harbour and Upper Harbour of Victoria, British Columbia, connecting Johnson Street on the east shore with Esquimalt Road on the west shore. The current bridge is Canada's largest sin ...
providing barge access to downtown Victoria.
In November 2014, SVI freight service along the entire Duncan-to-Parksville segment of the line was suspended following a risk assessment after the disrepair of the track had been continuously slowing train speeds down. No timeline was known for when service will resume.
As of 2018, the only operational trackage left is a truncated 7-mile strip in the Nanaimo area, servicing the Superior Propane spur in north Nanaimo.
The ICF is a partnership of the various local governments and
First Nations
First Nations or first peoples may refer to:
* Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area.
Indigenous groups
*First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including:
**First Natio ...
communities along the railway, including 14 municipalities, 5 regional districts and 12 First Nations.
Railway dormancy and delayed re-openings
![Alberni Pacific June 16 and 17 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Alberni_Pacific_June_16_and_17_2013.jpg)
Beginning March 18, 2011 passenger service between Victoria and Courtenay was suspended indefinitely, due to safety concerns about the poor condition of the tracks. In April 2012 the Federal Government announced that it would match a $7.5 million grant offered by the BC Provincial Government, providing the required $15 million for basic repairs and upgrades to reopen the rail line. The line was expected to reopen, and rail services re-commence in 2013, as early as the spring,
but was delayed due to failed negotiations between the Island Corridor Foundation and VIA Rail. In July 2014, an agreement was signed by VIA Rail to resume operations with plans to have services resume in the summer of 2015, but in April 2015, the ICF stated that the resumption of service has been put on hold while the BC Ministry of Transportation and provincial government review the funds for covering repair costs. Scheduled passenger service has yet to resume.
Vancouver Island Transportation Corridor Coalition
A new non-profit society, the Vancouver Island Transportation Corridor Coalition (VITCC), announced formation on July 7, 2020 to facilitate the return of rail service to Vancouver Island. The VITCC mandate is to promote modernizing the former E&N rail corridor as the backbone of the Island's future transportation system for commuters and freight alike, integrating with all other forms of transportation. They also seek to expand the cycling/pedestrian trails alongside the railway from the current more than 100 kilometres.
Bike path beside E&N in Victoria and Nanaimo
A bike path named the
E&N Rail Trail has been built beside the E&N tracks from
Vic West
Victoria West, commonly called Vic West, is an historic neighbourhood of the city of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, located just west of Downtown Victoria, downtown across Victoria Harbour, bordering on the Esquimalt, British Columbia, Townshi ...
to
Langford. In April 2007 the Island Corridor Foundation agreed to lease its land in Greater Victoria to the
Capital Regional District
The Capital Regional District (CRD) is a local government administrative district encompassing the southern tip of Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The CRD is one of several regional d ...
(CRD) for development of the bike trail. Construction began in 2009, and as of August 2021 there is approximately 3.6km left to build to reach Humpback Road, the currently planned western end of the CRD built trail.
In Nanaimo an trail was built in the 1990s. The E&N Trail is a multi-purpose paved trail for cycling, walking, roller blading and wheelchairs. It stretches from Townsite Road in the south to Mostar in the north where it connects to the Parkway Trail.
In the fall of 2013 a partnership of various community groups interested in moving the E&N Rail Trail forward was formed and the Nanaimo Regional Rail Trail Partnership was born. The NRRTP comprises the Downtown Business Improvement Association (DNBIA), Tourism Nanaimo,
Regional District of Nanaimo
The Regional District of Nanaimo is a regional district located on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the south by the Cowichan Valley Regional District, to the west by the Alberni-Clayoquot Regi ...
(RDN), the City of
Nanaimo
Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...
, Greater Nanaimo Cycling Coalition (GNCC), and the Island Corridor Foundation (ICF). As of 2015 the group has raised funds and is building the E&N extension trail from the old Nanaimo train station to 7th Avenue in the south. It planned to have that multi-use trail finished by 2019.
Concurrently, north of Nanaimo, the Regional District of Nanaimo started with two new sections in 2018. The first sections of trail will total approximately and will connect the City of
Parksville with
Coombs
Coombs is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Anthony Coombs (politician) (born 1952), British politician
* Anthony Coombs (Canadian football) (born 1992), Canadian football player
* Bobby Coombs (1908–1991), America ...
and
French Creek.
Rapid transit on E&N in Victoria
In 1996 a
BC Transit
BC Transit is a provincial crown corporation responsible for coordinating the delivery of public transportation within British Columbia, Canada, outside Greater Vancouver. BC Transit is headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia. In , the system ...
report proposed renewing the track and enhancing road crossings, to travel 13.3 km (8.3 miles) to arrive over the bridge into downtown Victoria from Station Avenue,
Langford. The travel time was 24 minutes, using the existing track, including stops, and restricting the speed to 25 km/h (16 mph) due to the condition of the railway and street crossings.
In 2008, a report
by the
British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is the British Columbia government ministry responsible for transport infrastructure and law in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is currently led by Rob Fleming.
The ministry is respon ...
put the travel time at 36 minutes, using the existing track, and having a train travelling a further distance of 17.2 km (10.7 mi) from West Langford. This includes six stops and stopping at each station for half a minute. The speed varies from 8 to 65 km/h (5 to 40 mph).
Sources
*
*
*
See also
*
Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Roundhouse
Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Roundhouse in Victoria, British Columbia, was completed in 1913 and designated a historic building in 1992.
The roundhouse has been virtually unchanged since its construction. It is surrounded by railway shops and o ...
*
List of heritage railways in Canada
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
Southern Railway of British Columbia
The Southern Railway of British Columbia, branded as SRY Rail Link is a Canadian short line railway operating in southwestern British Columbia. The main facility is the port at Annacis Island with major import of cars, export of forestry produc ...
References
External links
E&N Division — Canadian Railroad Historical AssociationVIA Rail Victoria – Courtenay train schedulefrom Waghorn's Guide
Video clips of the E&N from YoutubeCrown Land Grants: A History of the E&N includes a map of Vancouver Island showing the boundaries of the land grant
*A photo essay of th
E&N Railwayby Aidan Perret
{{DEFAULTSORT:Island Rail Corridor
British Columbia railways
History of Vancouver Island
Transport on Vancouver Island
Companies operating former Canadian Pacific Railway lines
Companies based in British Columbia
Nanaimo
Standard gauge railways in Canada