Railways in

Vancouver Island

An ageing Budd RDC operated by VIA Rail Canada
seen near Qualicum Beach in 2002

The railway network of Vancouver Island is physically separated from that of mainland Canada. Various ferry services provide passenger connections, with a direct connection for rail freight between Wellcox and Tilbury Dock, south of Vancouver.

Passenger Service

VIA Rail Canada markets and sells tickets for the Malahat Rail Diesel Car service on the Southern Railway of Vancouver Island line between Victoria and Courtenay, although the trains are actually operated by the railroad

Freight Services

Southern Railway of Vancouver Island Victoria to Courtenay with branch from Stockett Junction to Wellcox and from Parksville to Port Alberni
Englewood Railway standard gauge logging railway owned by Western Forest Products, connecting Vernon and Wass to Beaver Cove, a distance of 76 miles (122km) (No website located at present)

Tourist Services

Alberni Pacific Railway steam hauled train on the line from Port Alberni to McLean Mill, a distance of about 5 miles (8km)
BC Forest Discovery Centre situated a few miles north of Duncan, has a working reconstruction of a typical logging railway, mainly using original material. Passenger trains run in the Discovery centre throughout the year, steam hauled in summer.

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© 2006 Glyn Williams
Photo image © 2002 Shane Stewart
Canadian flag image from CIA World Factbook
British Columbia flag image from the RecreationBC website
Special thanks to SPV for their excellent Railroad Atlases