As a long-time retired railroader on Vancouver Island, I am fully in favour of using our E&N Island rail corridor for much better use than its current abandoned state.
I appreciate that it may be too expensive to upgrade the tracks for heavy freight trains. But surely there is a tourism option.
Wouldn’t it be a magnificent magnet to have a steam locomotive whistle stopping at various communities along the route?
This could be a fascinating old world experience for tourists and an economic boon for artists and artisans to sell their goods to the travellers.
There are a few old steam locomotives on the Island that could be called into service. All it takes is some imagination and we could have another first-class tourism draw for Vancouver Island and especially here in Cowichan Valley.
Gord Dickenson
Cobble Hill
