Passenger Trains > BC pledges money toward Vancouver Island railway

The Province of British Columbia has promised $7.5 CAD toward rehabilitation of the rail line on Vancouver Island,
where passenger service by VIA Rail Canada was suspended earlier this year because of poor track.

This is only half of what is estimated as the total cost to restore the route to safely handle passenger trains.
The first $500,000 CAD will go to an inspection and report on the project, by consultants.

Amazing that BC couldn't care less about the ex-BCR RDC out of North Vancouver because of adequate bus competition, but Vancouver Island's RDC is so much more important.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amazing that BC couldn't care less about the
> ex-BCR RDC out of North Vancouver because of
> adequate bus competition, but Vancouver Island's
> RDC is so much more important.


All politics is local!

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amazing that BC couldn't care less about the
> ex-BCR RDC out of North Vancouver because of
> adequate bus competition, but Vancouver Island's
> RDC is so much more important.

I still remember seeing the RDC's while driving toward Whistler, about 10 years ago. I should have just parked my car and went for a joyride, but I made up for it when the RDC's ended up on the Lewis & Clark Explorer between Portland and Astoria in 2004. At least, there's still rail service between Vancouver and Whistler.

I wish the best for the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Line's little RDC.

cchan006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amazing that BC couldn't care less about the
> > ex-BCR RDC out of North Vancouver because of
> > adequate bus competition, but Vancouver
> Island's
> > RDC is so much more important.
>
> I still remember seeing the RDC's while driving
> toward Whistler, about 10 years ago. I should have
> just parked my car and went for a joyride, but I
> made up for it when the RDC's ended up on the
> Lewis & Clark Explorer between Portland and
> Astoria in 2004. At least, there's still rail
> service between Vancouver and Whistler.
>
> I wish the best for the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Line's
> little RDC.


It could be a matter of a different government being in power. I'm more interested in what they are not doing on VAC-SEA, i.e., not helping fund it.

So far, the BC Government has promised $500,000 to fund the inspection of bridges between Victoria and Courtenay. The so called $15 million has many strings attached. It is $7 million BC funding, $7 million Federal funding.

If the "Island Corridor Foundation", the not for profit organisation (NGO non government organisation in political speak) can secure funding from the Canadian Government, the BC Government will match the funding up to $7 million. The ICF holds the current lease on the former CP Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway. Southern Rail of Vancouver Island, a Washington Group company operates the trains for ICF.

So far, the BC Government has only anted up about enough money to buy a house in downtown Victoria ($500,000).

I think both the Provincial and Federal Governments were surprised when a "Green Party" candidate, Elizabeth May got elected to a Federal seat in the last election in Saanich, a suburban riding near Victoria. They may have decided to spend some money on Vancouver Island, depending on what the findings of the inspection are.

It is up to the ICF to convince the Canadian Government of the merits to funding the repairs. To put it in a California perspective, this would be like northern Californians persuading Bush Republicans to fund improvements on the NWP.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/11 17:10 by eminence_grise.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amazing that BC couldn't care less about the
> ex-BCR RDC out of North Vancouver because of
> adequate bus competition, but Vancouver Island's
> RDC is so much more important.

This has nothing to do with bus competition. The BC Rail Budds were dwindling away their days before the Provincial BC Liberal Government gave away BC Rail to CN back in 2004. It was well known at the time the 50 year old Budds would either need major overhaul or to be replaced, thus the ideology just to end service on the line, which happened October 31, 2002.

BNSF3450

BNSF3450 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amazing that BC couldn't care less about the
> > ex-BCR RDC out of North Vancouver because of
> > adequate bus competition, but Vancouver
> Island's
> > RDC is so much more important.
>
> This has nothing to do with bus competition. The
> BC Rail Budds were dwindling away their days
> before the Provincial BC Liberal Government gave
> away BC Rail to CN back in 2004. It was well known
> at the time the 50 year old Budds would either
> need major overhaul or to be replaced, thus the
> ideology just to end service on the line, which
> happened October 31, 2002.
>
> BNSF3450

Not sure of the price tag, but VIA Rail Canada has found a great vendor in the Maritimes to restore its various RDC Budd Cars, which will certainly add more life to them.

The whole BC Rail debacle, in my opinion, was political and nothing more than that. It is interesting how BC Rail was able to obtain a fantastic train - the Whistler Northwind - just a couple of years before the province pulled the plug on BC passenger rail. Those Whistler Northwind cars are now the "Panorama Cars" of VIA Rail Canada (included was an observation car in the sale). The Panorama cars are extremey nice cars for viewing and riding. VIA's win on that one for sure! THe price I am sure was a bargain as well!

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BNSF3450 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > joemvcnj Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Amazing that BC couldn't care less about the
> > > ex-BCR RDC out of North Vancouver because of
> > > adequate bus competition, but Vancouver
> > Island's
> > > RDC is so much more important.
> >
> > This has nothing to do with bus competition.
> The
> > BC Rail Budds were dwindling away their days
> > before the Provincial BC Liberal Government
> gave
> > away BC Rail to CN back in 2004. It was well
> known
> > at the time the 50 year old Budds would either
> > need major overhaul or to be replaced, thus the
> > ideology just to end service on the line, which
> > happened October 31, 2002.
> >
> > BNSF3450
>
> Not sure of the price tag, but VIA Rail Canada has
> found a great vendor in the Maritimes to restore
> its various RDC Budd Cars, which will certainly
> add more life to them.

Via contracted Industrial Rail Services of New Brunswick to do the work for $12 Million. The engines were replaced with Caterpillars and when I attended E&N Railway Days in Victoria in August 2008, Via had lent a Budd for rides from the Roundhouse to Langford. Hearing the motor just wasnt the same.

> The whole BC Rail debacle, in my opinion, was
> political and nothing more than that. It is
> interesting how BC Rail was able to obtain a
> fantastic train - the Whistler Northwind - just a
> couple of years before the province pulled the
> plug on BC passenger rail. Those Whistler
> Northwind cars are now the "Panorama Cars" of VIA
> Rail Canada (included was an observation car in
> the sale). The Panorama cars are extremey nice
> cars for viewing and riding. VIA's win on that one
> for sure! THe price I am sure was a bargain as
> well!

The Whistler Northwinds demise happened under the previous NDP Government as a decision that a luxury train at that time wasnt profitable. The decision the pull the Explorer was long before the RDCs were pulled from service, thus had nothing to do with that. If you actually had of read what I had written, you will see the date service ended.

We all know about the Panorama cars as you keep discussing over and over and over and over again, and to be honest the only thing thats great about them would be for a senior who cant climb the stairs to get to the dome. To me its like riding a coach with higher windows, where you have to strain your neck to look up. The real prize of being on a train is riding in an actual dome car.

BNSF3450



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/11 20:09 by BNSF3450.