Railways in

British Columbia

Vancouver SkyTrain approaching Nanaimo from Vancouver

Vancouver Island

A separate page deals with railways on Vancouver Island.

National Operators

• VIA Rail Canada passenger services:
  • The Canadian Toronto to Vancouver
  • The Skeena Jasper, Alberta to Prince Rupert
• Canadian Pacific Railway freight services
• CN freight services

International Services

• Amtrak passenger service: the Amtrak Cascades from Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver uses BNSF tracks in Canada
• BNSF crosses the US border between Blaine and White Rock, from where it continues to Vancouver
• BNSF from Wickersham and Lynden (Washington state) meets Southern Railway of British Columbia from Gloucester and Chillawack, and Canadian Pacific from Mission City, on the US border between Sumas and Huntingdon
• Kettle Falls International Railway from Columbia Gardens (interchange with International Reload Systems) to Chewelah (Washington state, interchange with BNSF), crossing the US border between Waneta and Boundary. A branch from Kettle Falls to Danville crosses the border twice; the latter branch has an interchange at Grand Forks with the Grand Forks Railway. There is no direct connection with the remainder of the Canadian network.
• Union Pacific from Sand Point, Idaho meets Canadian Pacific from Curzon on the US border between Eastport and Kingsgate.

Local passenger services

• West Coast Express commuter services from Mission City to Vancouver
CN operate a railcar service under contract to the Seton Lake Indian Band between D'Arcy and Lillooet, primarily for the use of local schoolchildren.

Regional and Local Freight Operators

• Southern Railway of British Columbia Vancouver to Chillawack via Huntingdon
• Kelowna Pacific Railway Campbell Creek (connection with Canadian Pacific, and trackage rights over Canadian Pacific from Kamloops) via Armstrong and Lumby Junction (branch to Lumby) to Kelowna. Total length of line about 109 miles (175km) (No website located at present)
• International Rail Road Systems Columbia Gardens (interchange with Kettle Falls International Railway) to Parks. There is no direct connection with the remainder of the Canadian network (No website located at present)
• Grand Forks Railway Grand Forks (interchange with Kettle Falls International Railway) to nearby saw mills. There is no direct connection with the remainder of the Canadian network (No website located at present)

Tourist Services

• Royal Canadian Pacific luxury cruise train
• Rocky Mountaineer luxury cruise train
• Grande Luxe Rail Journeys luxury cruise train
• Whistler Mountaineer luxury tourist train operating on 75 miles (120 km) of CN track between North Vancouver and Whistler
• Fort Steele Steam Railway steam hauled tourist trains operating from Fort Steele Heritage Town
• Kamloops Heritage Railway tourist trains, usually steam hauled, on a 3 mile (5 km) section of the Okanagon Valley Railway between Kamloops and Armstrong
• Kettle Valley Steam Railway steam hauled tourist railway near Summerland
• White Pass and Yukon Route runs through British Columbia. For more details see Alaska.
• Kimberley's Underground Mining Railway reconstruction of a typical mining railway with steep slopes, sharp curves, switchbacks and even an underground section. Conveys passenger from Kimberley for a little over 5 miles (8km) to the Old Sullivan Mine, itself now a museum
• Downtown Historic Railway heritage trams in Vancouver
• Nelson Electric Street Tramway heritage trams in Nelson
• Fraser Valley Heritage Railway project to restore part of the BC Electric Railway interurban line from Surrey. Cars are under reconstruction at the car barn and rides are offered in a works train on a short demonstration track
• Bear Creek Park Train miniature railway in Bear Creek Park, Surrey
• Burnaby Central Railway miniature railway in Burnaby
• Candlecreek Northern Railway miniature railway near Clearwater, in the grounds of a small guest house built to resemble an old railway station
• Cottonwood Railway miniature railway at the Prince George Railway & Forestry Museum, Prince George
• Fort George Railway miniature railway in Fort George Park, Prince George
• Stanley Park Railway miniature railway in Stanley Park, Vancouver

Metro

• Vancouver
  • SkyTrain metro

© 2006-2009 Glyn Williams
Photo image © 2002 Adam J Benjamin
Canadian flag image from CIA World Factbook
British Columbia flag image from the RecreationBC website
Special thanks to SPV for their excellent Railroad Atlases