https://www.islandrail.ca/mot-releases-study-of-rail-corridor-opportunities/ Connecting the Places We Live Work Learn & Play Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:35:22 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.islandrail.ca/mot-releases-study-of-rail-corridor-opportunities/#comment-14 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:35:22 +0000 https://islandrail.ca/?p=479#comment-14 I must agree with our visitor from the UK. I have spent summer vacations on the Island for several decades and have always wondered why the passenger train travels north away from the larger centre in the morning. I have many, many times spoken to visitors from abroad, while vacationing up island, would have loved to take a train to Victoria in the morning only to realize that they could not. As for commuting, obviously the bulk of potential commuters would prefer to travel to Victoria in the a.m. .
As for incremental improvements, it seems to me that a revised schedule of trains to Victoria in the early morning, especially from south of Nanaimo, would give travelers better reason to take the train to and from Victoria rather than their vehicles. In this geographical area, incremental improvements could be made to infrastructure to improve running times.
As for major increases in freight, much obviously hinges on the potential of coal from the new mines near Courtenay. Obviously there would need to be a lot of potential freight to support the vast improvements in infrastructure although speed over a short distance is somewhat less important that than track integrity.
Cheers!

]]> https://www.islandrail.ca/mot-releases-study-of-rail-corridor-opportunities/#comment-13 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:57:29 +0000 https://islandrail.ca/?p=479#comment-13 Very interesting to see your site. We visited Canada and stayed with relatives in Duncan last year. Where we live in the UK, near Portsmouth, I can catch a fast train to work in the City for less than the cost of car parking for the day. Trains run every 10 minutes and it makes finnacial sense to leave the car at home.
Whilst the pace of life in Canada seemed to us, at least, to be less hectic, it was strange that the service on the dayliner sets out from the wrong end and time, if its ever going to be used by commuters. I understand about the lack of infrastructure but being a visitor to the area, and interested in trains, we found the site of the dayliner to be delightful.
I did buy a book on Vancouver Island railroads which is very interesting.
From this distant place I wish you all the best in preserving the line and perhaps….reopening to Port Alberni. I really liked the trestles across Cameron Lake.
Good Luck

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