Mr. Horgan, action is needed on railway
To: The Honourable John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia.
Re: The E. & N. Railway.
“Let’s do it!”
A future headline … . ‘The Provincial Government of the Hon. Premier John Horgan restores train service to Vancouver Island. Historic railway saved from extinction!’ What a great legacy! A move appreciated by many and as the population of southern Vancouver Island is projected to grow by one-hundred-thousand (100,000), in the coming decades, and a decision that will be valued and acknowledged by generations unborn.
It seems it doesn’t matter how many millions we spend on the approaches to Victoria, how much concrete we pour, or how much asphalt we continue to roll out, we are still stuck with the same problem. At the drop of a hat, the entire length of the Malahat can be instantly transformed into one enormous multi-lane parking lot. A situation that leads to chaos, untold stress, missed flights and appointments, anger. And all the while the Island Rail Corridor sits quietly by and unused.
It is unbelievable that the rail corridor still sits idle. And what an asset! What would it cost to recreate such a corridor today? If it was feasible. A billion dollars? Surely, isn’t it long past time we took action?
For far to long there has been never-ending dialogue … for and against. To the opponents I say there is a lack of vision and imagination. Others like the City of Langford have been building for sometime infrastructure alongside and adjacent to the railway in the belief that the trains will run again. The City of Nanaimo has done a fabulous job restoring their railway station. And we have to acknowledge all those dedicated to the cause and who have been fighting for ages to restore rail service.
Mid-Atlantic, flying home from the U.K. to Canada a few years ago, I couldn’t help but notice a lively bunch on the other side of the plane. A brief conversation revealed this group of men were heading to Vancouver Island to ‘ride the rails’. Just a few of the rail enthusiasts who travel the globe for the sheer excitement of experiencing rail travel in all its variety. These folks must really miss our E. & N.
Now in this day and age, we have the cruise ships docking in Victoria and mid-island (Nanaimo). So like elsewhere the potential to benefit the communities up and down the island has to be considerable. And this again is where the train comes in. Imagine introducing a steam train on some of these runs. Icing on the cake and a real draw.
I don’t know many people who live in the ever-expanding, and fast growing western communities, but those I do know are keen to see in operation a commuter train, to be able to sit back and enjoy a stress-free trip to and from Victoria. To gleefully look up from their newspaper to witness the stalled traffic, the drivers fuming, huffing and puffing as they idle away umpteen million litres of precious fuel. There have been suggestions that busses run on the corridor. It is not practical. It will not work. A bus belongs on the highway.
The benefits of rail have been spelled out over and over again. In terms of the environment, getting cars off the road, job creation, to boost tourism and in our case to capitalize on this amazing asset … the Island rail corridor. So let’s do it! Isn’t a railway or light rail woven into the fabric of transport overall, but another way of keeping things on the move and should be treated as such, such as bike lanes and the roads. Funds are quickly made available for projects in that area.
A news item this morning June 6th … . Canadian National Railways to invest three-hundred and forty million dollars ($340,000,000), in infrastructure for the year 2018.
It is now my fervent and sincere wish, others too, that action soon takes place.
Peter Dawson.
Duncan.
