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Vancouver Island railway gets funding boost from Canadian government
Great news! For years, we visited Victoria and not only rejoiced in the Budd-car ride to up-island but enjoyed the view from our condo balcony of the train leaving and entering the city over the inner harbor drawbridge.
Too bad there were no funds to rehabilitate help rehabilitate the Carlton Trail in northern Saskatchewan. They have started to rip it out. The local communities were prepared to buy it, but needed funds from the government to help rehab it. No funds, so no purchase so Omnitrax is salvaging the line.
it’s about time they reopened this line. it is a beautiful trip upisland.as the railway bridge in victoria is no longer in where will they build the new station?
This was already on the News wire in April, I don’t see any more new money here.
http://trn.trains.com/Railroad%20News/News%20Wire/2012/04/Canada%20to%20help%20fund%20restoration%20of%20Vancouver%20Island%20rail%20service.aspx
Good to hear that The Malahat may be back
Good to hear that The Malahat may be back
This is great news. I rode that line nine years ago and even then it obviously needed restoration. Passenger train speed was 40 mph max. On most of the line, the ballast had sunk so low and the grass grown so much that it looked like there was no ballast at all - the rails just sitting on the ground. It must be really awful now.
When I first visited the E & N in the Victoria area, it looked to me as though lack of track maintenance was intentional, in order to justify total abandonment. A few years later as part of an Association of Railway Museums group trip on the regularly scheduled Budd car some of us got to ride up front. To my surprise the nearly hidden rails did NOT produce a rough ride.
This Harper Gov!t only gives out money at election time, They make promises right and left, but donot spend the money till you actually see the cheque,and do not be surprised if there is NO cheque. Others across Canada have been promised the moon and the stars, and most are still waiting.
Good to see they are reviving this line. When I saw it in 1980, the rail head was separated from the web in places - and they were running RDCs over it!