Enhancing Vancouver Island Rail Transit

Revised: The Island Rail Corridor would be preserved for an Intercity Rail, Regional Rail, Freight Service, and a Multi-Use Trail beside the rail line.

The bus on shoulder lanes in Victoria on Hwy 1 are costing $25.6 million dollars per km. The cost of upgrading the rail line on the Island Rail Corridor is $3 million dollars per km plus rolling stock and the reroutes around First Nations Reserves where required.

Capital Regional District

Vancouver Island

There are two options that would allow trains from up island all of the way to Victoria. Both options would require bored tunnels under the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations. Both options would have a maximum capacity of 5400pphpd. The Downtown Victoria option is only $200 million more than the double track option to Vic West and would provide higher ridership.

The cost of the BC Transit Tram (LRT) proposal between Downtown Victoria and Langford would now cost around $4 billion whereas upgrading the Island Rail Corridor between downtown Victoria and Langford would cost around $1.3 billion.

The second option would be a double track double bored tunnel under the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations Reserves. The line would end at Vic West just west of the Johnson St bridge. The platform length would be 170m and support two 4-car Stadler Flirts with a power car. The maximum capacity would be 5400pphpd.

The first and best option would be a single bored tunnel under the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations Reserve and a single bored tunnel under the Inner Harbour with an underground station under Yates St roughly between Douglas and Blanshard. The platform length would be 250m and support three 4-car Stadler Flirts with a power car. The maximum capacity would be 5400pphpd.

Restore Island Rail

The Restore Island Rail is an advocacy group in support of upgrading the Island Rail Corridor for rail and a trail beside the rail line. Click on the button to connect to the Restore Island Rail website.