Reports are circulating that CN is mothballing the portion of the former BCR mainline from Squamish, British Columbia to Williams Lake. Reportedly the last train movement has already taken place. This portion is the most scenic on the whole railway, but it is also the portion with the toughest gradients.
Several years back(?) I read an article in regards to this area of the BCR. IIRC Track was laid to Williams Lake(?) And with in=activity on that portion of the then BCR; the local population was using a sort of railroad ‘jitney’ to move the isolated students to their educations, and others in the area as needed for errands?
Unfortunately, I cannot seem to recall the magazine, or more of the details?
Was not this BCR, at sometime being looked at, as an answer to extending the Alaska RR further South towards a connection with the Lower 48 ?
The north end of the railway was surveyed to Dease Lake. Though the rail was only laid to a station named Takla, about 250 miles short of Dease Lake. This was the closest location connected to the North America railway network to Alaska. During the era before the Province of British Columbia sold the railway to CN there were three through freights per day from Prince George to Vancouver. Since the takeover CN has runoff much of the lumber business and diverted much of what remains east from Prince George(located on CN’s line to Prince Rupert). What was left was a heavy local handling the remaining business(and requiring DPU) over the +2 percent grades.
Yet another line abandoned. This industry really does have both feet firmly planted in the grave.
Back in the early '90s when my dad and I rode the BCRR’s Caribou RDC’s to Prince George, the RR ran a school train S. from Lillooet to serve the students along Seton Lake. Didn’t see anything about a school operation near Williams Lake. Caribou ran daily between N. Vancouver and Lillooet and 3 days a week two cars continued to Prince George and returned the next day. We met two freights on our trip which were (if I recall) about 60-80 cars long. Not a lot of sidings or industry along the route. Dad wanted to take this trip to see the Tumbler Ridge Project which was a major export coal mine with an Electrified spur through tunnels between the mine and the original railroad. This coal was destined to Asia with big unit trains that ran to Prince Rupert. But as the expresion goes, “that ship has sailed”. Electrics are gone but some coal still is exported. Prince Rupert has become a major port. We saw the spur heading NNW toward Dease Lake but it did not show any signs of activity. You might want to see these video’s.
I missed riding the Caraboo, but when the Rocky Mountaineer began running over the route, I thought I had a second chance. I hope by “mothballing” it means it may be resurected in the future.
It’s all too true.
The date has been pushed back a few days, last I heard the final train is supposed to run tomorrow.
I’m not sure what Rocky Mountaineer will do in the future, they have already cancelled service this year due to the pandemic.
Also, CN formally applied to abandon the Takla Subdivision (Dease Lake line) last year. It has not seen a train in over a decade.
I wonder if the Fort Nelson Sub will be next, it is down to one or two short trains a week (10-20 cars of oilfield supplies).
I wonder if BC is regretting selling the line?
To my understanding BC still owns the line although CN will nolonger be providing services on it. Maybe BC will find another operator for it…or… maybe we will see BC once again running their own trains under the BC Rail banner… somehow I doubt it… but who knows.
The agreement with CN is not public knowledge and never has been. The BC provincial gov’t transferred 'ownership" or whatever it is to CN without divulging any details, a point of considerable public anger and debate at the time. The short answer to the question of another operator of the line south of Williams Lake is : ‘Who knows!?’… Charlie Chilliwack, BC
As there are currently no active customers on that stretch of track, and CN is the only potential interchange partner, I don’t think there will be many other interested operators.
This reminds me of the abandonment of CP’s Coquihalla and Carmi Subdivisions on the former Kettle Valley Railway. Eventually that entire line was abandoned as local traffic declined.
The rest of the former BC Rail line from Williams Lake to Prince George is almost entirely dependent on forest products, and that industry has taken a big hit in recent years with the Pine Beetle epidemic and American softwood lumber tariffs.
This action has also eliminated any operation on a through route with 2%+ grades.
With CN’s busy mainline and Prince Rupert line, you would thing they could use the BC lne for relief. My guess is that most of thr traffic load that would use it (forest products?) would be southbound. I know there is a steep northbound grade out of the Fraser Valley, but are the southbound grades as steep?
Yes. The southbound ruling grade between Lillooet and the summit of the Coast Mountains is over 2%. BC Rail used to have pushers based at Pemberton.
I’ve never been on the line, and am too lazy to look up the track profile right now (a problem for future me), but there are two long northbound grades of over 2%. Between Squamish and Whistler, where the Cheakamus Canyon derailment happened, and the infamous Kelly Lake Hill between Lillooet and Exeter, which is the longest such grade in North America, at over 30 miles.
The British Columbia provincial goverment sold BC Rail Ltd. to CN. This included everything from the ties on up. CN also assumed the leases on all leased equipment, and any and all contractual obligations. The Province retained the underlying ROW which it leased to CN for a 60 year period, plus a guaranteed 15 year extension at CN’s option. CN paid upfront for the 60 year lease plus the 15 year extension. In addition CN has the option for 15 60-year extensions subject to agreement between both parties on the price for each extension which will be negotiated prior to the beginning of each of the subject extensions. Lastly before each of the subsequent extensions either party has the option of not extending the agreement with the Province being required to give CN five years notice, and CN must give the Province three years notice. Also should CN decide to terminate the agreement, CN must sell enough equipment both track and rolling stock equivalent to what was purchased, at the fair market price as of the time of termination of said agreement.
[quote user=“beaulieu”]
The British Columbia provincial goverment sold BC Rail Ltd. to CN. This included everything from the ties on up. CN also assumed the leases on all leased equipment, and any and all contractual obligations. The Province retained the underlying ROW which it leased to CN for a 60 year period, plus a guaranteed 15 year extension at CN’s option. CN paid upfront for the 60 year lease plus the 15 year extension. In addition CN has the option for 15 60-year extensions subject to agreement between both parties on the price for each extension which will be negotiated prior to the beginning of each of the subject extensions. Lastly before each of the subsequent extensions either party has the option of not extending the agreement with the Province being required to give CN five years notice, and CN must give the Province three years notice. Also should CN decide to terminate the agreement, CN must sell enough equipment both track and rolling stock equivalent to what was purchased, at the fair market price as of the time of termination of said agreement.
Beaulieu
Your reply got me thinking and doing some research about the CN Transaction which was finalized in July of 2004. At the time no detail was given publicly to the citizens of BC.
I decided to go to the BC Government website. As far as I can see so far: the details of the transaction are recorded in a variety of reports, votes, financial statements. So far I have not found a document that details the ‘CN Transaction’ lease agreement on the above website.
I did find in the BC Railway Annual Report of 2018-2019 some of the detail I was looking for.
The railway assets above the ROW and Track Structure were sold to CN along with whatever business BC Rail was doing at the time. CN also assumed any debt the railway was carrying. The Province (BCRC) retains ownership of the right of way and surfaced track structure according to the docu
One line of thought at the time was that CN’s interest in the line was to create a monopoly in that whole region of British Columbia, and ensure a long haul for themselves. An independent BC Rail could also interchange with CPR and BNSF in Vancouver, providing competitive options for shippers in the north. Both those roads did look at bidding but backed out, possibly because they felt the “fix” was already predetermined in the back rooms. Lots of controversy about that at the time and the smell still lingers.
John
That line makes no sense as a through route to and from the west coast as CN’s former Canadian Northern line to Vancouver and the GTP line to Prince Rupert involve grades of no more than 1%…
Maybe this scenic line will go the way of the Kettle Valley… a trail for hiking and biking… I hope so.
I always wondered why PGE built the route up the grade to Kelly Lake. Could they have not followed the water level route of the Fraser River. Was river canyon construction prohibitive, or was traffic potential on the plateau a better option?
The railway was built in fits and starts over a period of 50 years. Early on the goal was to connect with the GTP at Prince George, thereby creating a through route to Vancouver . The overbuilt GTP was floundering with an OR of 150% as at that time there was very little traffic to and from Prince Rupert, and a connection to Vancouver, a major port and urban center, it was hoped, would have provided more traffic.
The reality is that all railroads were built in fits and starts as financing was made available. Most had no intent to go much beyond the next ‘big town’ or river port. The rail systems we know today weren’t even a dream when most railroad lines were initially constructed.