Victoria – Courtenay train

The Victoria – Courtenay train (formerly the Malahat), commonly known as the Dayliner,[1] is a passenger train service operated by Via Rail between Victoria, Nanaimo, and Courtenay on a rail line owned by the Island Corridor Foundation who also contracts out freight operations to the Southern Railway of Vancouver Island (formerly known as the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway).[2] The train was formerly operated with one or two Budd Rail Diesel Cars.[2] Via Rail has operated the passenger train since 1979.[3] The service has been threatened with discontinuation several times. Currently, service has been suspended indefinitely since March 19, 2011, due to track replacement work.[4][5]Prior to further inspection of the track, service along the segment between Nanaimo and Victoria was originally planned to resume on April 8.[6] On May 10, nearly two months after suspension, the old Budd cars were moved from the roundhouse in Victoria to a secure yard in Nanaimo, in future hopes of starting commuter service from there.[7] On November 5, they were taken off the island to be returned to Eastern Canada, which they will be replaced by a new three-car train stock when service resumes.[8]

Contents

Route

The train operates one daily round trip, departing Victoria in the morning, and returning from Courtenay in the evening. The 225-kilometre (140 mi) trip takes 4 hours and 45 minutes each way.[9] There are future proposals to include a commuter service to operate morning service from Nanaimo to Victoria that could debut as early as March 2012[5] and an inter-rail run between Cowichan and Victoria.[4]

Stations

From south to north the stations and request stops along the line are:[9]

 0 Victoria
6 Esquimalt
10 Palmer (Ft. Victoria)
13 Langford
32 Malahat
40 Cliffside
42 Strathcona Lodge
45 Shawnigan Lake
50 Cobble Hill
55 Hillbank
58 Cowichan
64 Duncan
68 Hayward
82 Chemainus
93 Ladysmith
105 Cassidy
108 South Wellington
111 Starks
117 Nanaimo
124 Wellington
142 Nanoose Bay
153 Parksville
164 Qualicum Beach
177 Dunsmuir
190 Deep Bay
203 Buckley Bay
211 Union Bay
225 Courtenay
Station Distance (km) Information image
Victoria 0
Esquimalt 6 stops on request
Palmer (Ft. Victoria) 10
Langford (Via Rail station) 13 stops on request
Malahat 32 stops on request
Cliffside 40
Strathcona Lodge 42
Shawnigan Lake 45 stops on request
Cobble Hill 50 stops on request
Hillbank 55
Cowichan 58 stops on request
Duncan 64
Hayward 68
Chemainus 82 stops on request
Ladysmith 93 stops on request
Cassidy 105 stops on request
South Wellington 108
Starks 111 stops on request
Nanaimo 117
Wellington 124 stops on request
Nanoose Bay 142
Parksville 153
Qualicum Beach 164 stops on request
Dunsmuir 177 stops on request
Deep Bay 190
Buckley Bay 203
Union Bay 211 stops on request
Courtenay 225

See also

References

  1. ^ Cleverley, Bill (October 29, 2009), "'Wrong way' rail may be righted", Times-Colonist (Victoria, BC CAN: Canwest), http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=b8cbbea2-919b-4948-a6c7-0d0b686315e6, retrieved 2010-01-25 
  2. ^ a b Johnston, Bob (May 2008), "British Columbia's backcountry locals", Trains (Waukesha, WI USA: Kalmbach Publishing) 68 (5): 50–55, ISSN 0041-0934 
  3. ^ "Chronological City History". Victoria Heritage Foundation. http://www.victoriaheritagefoundation.ca/chroncityhistory.html. Retrieved 2010-02-05. 
  4. ^ a b "Island's Dayliner train parked indefinitely due to track problems". Times Colonist. April 7, 2011. http://www.timescolonist.com/news/todays-paper/Island+Dayliner+train+parked+indefinitely+track+problems/4573834/story.html. Retrieved April 7, 2011. 
  5. ^ a b "E&N rail service doomed without huge injection of government cash says operators". Viccity.ca. April 26, 2011. http://www.viccity.ca/v2/news/7231/E&N+rail+service+doomed+without+huge+injection+of+government+cash+says+operators/. Retrieved October 4, 2011. 
  6. ^ "VIA prepares to reinstitute partial train service April 8". Via Rail. March 29, 2011. http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/media-room/latest-news/1688/29-march-2011-via-prepares-to-reinstitute-partial-train-service-april-8. Retrieved September 7, 2011. 
  7. ^ "Dayliner leaves today for safekeeping in Nanaimo". Times Colonist. May 10, 2011. http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/capital_van_isl/story.html?id=2749c00a-2858-4518-8246-0c9db088b7b8. Retrieved May 11, 2011. 
  8. ^ "E&N Rail cars leaving Island for good". VicNews. November 5, 2011. http://www.vicnews.com/news/133260528.html. Retrieved November 9, 2011. 
  9. ^ a b "Victoria-Courtenay train - Schedules". Via Rail. http://www.viarail.ca/en/trains/rockies-and-pacific/victoria-courtenay/schedules. Retrieved 2009-01-16. 

External links

Current routes
Former routes
Ambassador • Atlantic • Atlantic Limited • Bras d'Or • Cavalier • Enterprise • Erie • Evangeline • Exec • Forest City • Frontenac • Gatineau • General Brock • Huron • International • International Limited • Lake Shore • La Salle • Laurier • Le Saint-Laurent • Meridian • Metropolis • Mohawk • Super Continental
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