We do not have the infrastructure. What you see is rotted and rusted. It needs a complete replacement. Much of it runs through sensitive ecosystem so changing the trusses will cost a fortune and take years. You have some land that can be better used.

Agreed. Obviously the infrastructure needs work, thus the costed plans, but the value of the rail line will only increase as the population on the island increases.

@@billmacgougan619 nobody has 'costed' the real cost of a functional rail system on the island, but we can look to other regions who did it. Like Ottawa who built 20km of rail for over $4 billion dollars, over much more amenable landscape than here.

Being an actual project with expenditures sure does make the numbers more reliable than the cost estimates provided here. However, they do not sound like remotely similar projects. And estimates are usually all you can have in advance. I'm sure they would benefit from an update (they are 4 years old now, I think). I'm not making this claim but, for fun, if we are pulling out of context info in without examining it, I could just as easily say "Nothing makes a stronger case for the feds and province kicking in (say) $b for a 300 km line that will mean much more to Islanders (including some serious reconciliation work) than the fact that Ottawa just spent 4 times that amount for a mere 20km extension that will mean no where near as much to their constituants."

Scotland has also recently pioneered a unique system of flag stop indicators that allow them to service even the most rural of stations, which is some thing that could be used here as well!

What's the significance of diesel Stadler Flirts? Are they better than the Budds?

How does a 4.5 hour trip by rail beat 3 hours by car, especially when inconvenienced by the rail line schedule, and not having a car when you arrive at your destination? Outside of a nostalgic train ride experience, the rail line is grossly impractical. Why do you think nobody rode it? Victorians looking for a mid-island getaway will be driving! They come up here for hiking, camping, kayaking and fishing, NOT shopping. When they arrive, they leave town, and for that you need a vehicle loaded with all your outdoorsy gear.

@@eugenetswong The budds are great trainsets but they are far to old to be the face of renewed service. Stadler flirts are probably the best modern Deisel multiple unit option and are a huge improvement from the Budds

@@ant8504 Thank you!

could you elaborate ? like (Passenger trains with a few light freight cars for food / parcles) or just having both operate on the same lines?

Rail going up the length of an island... as apposed to a boat? That is far more effecient for frieght. No rail system, especially in NA, is financially viable just transporting people.

@tracksidebcofficial wow, I've only worked in logistics, Business intelligence, and the expanding arms of IT for 41 years, but wtf would I know right? You need to stop burning bridges. Apparently, you don't know how social media works.

Exactly. People proposing a multi use path are short sighted and unimaginative. Rail could completely change how the island functions and actually allow people to live car free or light. Really hope this happens soon, seems there is some more political energy behind it, and if anyone is going to make this happen, it'll be Eby

@tracksidebcofficialWhy is the Dayliner a thing of the past?

The Dayliner, as noted in the video, was a quant quirky tourist train that ran once per day in each direction. The growing population of Vancouver Island needs a practical modern rail line that can move a lot of people and freight.

I feel like (or at least I hope) "rebuilding" is overstating it. According to the Condition Assessment, significant work is required along the entire line, but their cost estimates are based on much of what is in place remaining.

​@tracksidebcofficial Yes. Exactly. Competing with the Almighty Car, fighting climate change and improving urbanism requires a solid investment. Fighti

@@eugenetswong The last Dayliners I'm aware of still operating in North America run between Sudbury and White River, Ontario, to serve a few small communities and cottages that have no road access. The line is the CPR main line that runs through the woods. (The Trans-Canada Highway runs to Sault Ste. Marie then north along the shore of Lake Superior, paralleling the railway almost the entire rest of the way from White River across the country.)

I'm not an expert but I think they could incentivize this, without mandating it. Governments have spent decades incentivizing truck transport and car-supremacy. That looks like an unwise approach going forward, so shifting some of the transportation infrastructure investment to other modes should suffice.

Since when is a public commuter rail service supposed to be profitable? Do roads make a profit? BC Ferries? Public transit? Island Rail should be run as a public service that does offset operating costs through the farebox, just like transit.

Yah but trains are profitable and cars aren’t soooo I wouldn’t be si sure

Working with First Nations there may be a solution. It's conceivable that some track will have to be realigned to make it work but for the most part it may just be a matter of negotiating the right sort of operating agreement and ownership that benefits First Nations and other stakeholders. Many things that are worthwhile and that do eventually happen are not necessarily "easy." The fact that these conversations with First Nations and other stakeholders are happening now means there are folks, likely more informed than you or I, that think there might be a solution that works.

@@billmacgougan619 How much government money will it cost?

First Nations are already in partnership with Island Rail Foundation management. How much government money has alteady been sunk into highways and ferry terminals in FN territory over the last 140 years? As for stealing land from FN to give Dunsmuir an 8,000 square km land grant, not paying the original owners, denying them any legal representation whatsoever and then shoving them onto tiny reserves would be called theft in most books, except perhaps yours.

@@lesliemacmillan9932 It’s guaranteed not to be free. The provincial and federal government are going to spend billions upon billions on infrastructure regardless. The feds currently have over $100 billion in the pipeline for rail infrastructure over the next few years. The amount to fully establish the entire new rail service (based on the ICF business case) is less than the cost of just 1KM of Skytrain. So, yes, it will not be free, no option is free (including more roads). It would be ideal if Vancouver Island could get a tiny portion of the funds allocated to rail infrastructure.

@@ub59 Have fun.

I don't think they did say "no." First Nations have not been happy with the direction of the ICF and one nation has indicated it wants the land the track is on (a relatively small section).

First Nations are represented in the ICF. How many billions have been spent on highways and ferry terminals? Rail is far more efficient and a fast, frequent and well networked service will stimulate the Island economy...and do far less damage than highways, huge parking lots and cars.

@@ub59 how many millions is it going to take then, to get it safe to operate on, how many millions is it going to take to put trains on the tracks, how many millions is it going to take to pay an operator and staff, how many millions is it going to take to run marketing and ticket sales daily to break even, how many millions is it going to take to pay FN bands for thru fare in their land. How many millions will be paid out for insurance and accidents that will happen each year. How many billions are we deep at that point. I love rail, would love nothing more to see rail on the island, grew up taking rail on the island. Three major points kill it, the rail line its self, downtown terminal the CoV killed and FN right away thru their territory.

@@SNS8R03 Last year alone the federal government subsidized the Alberta oil industry to the tune of $18.3 billion. You're looking at over $200B in the last decade, mainly for unworkable carbon capture and storage. Canada can afford a $36B pipeline that will never work as described. Canada also has a $2 trillion annual economy. The E&N corridor land asset is also a sunk cost that will never need to be paid for again. And we can't afford commuter rail? Seriously? Canada has a massive infrastructure deficit and a steep challenge on climate change. Put them together with electrification and reprioritized expenditures and you've got the beginnings of a plan. Partner with FN to resolve design and routing issues and work with them on rail-oriented development on their land that generates long term revenue while meeting housing demand, like Vancouver's three FNs in partnership with the feds on several significant projects. Partner with all Island cities and the private sector to invest in housing, offices, commercial and retail development near stations for permanent revenue. Vancouver's Expo Line was the first rapid transit line in the Metro and it received lots of similar flack back then, mainly about costs. Today the 100++ billion dollars in development it stimulated is going stronger than ever, 40 years later, and SkyTrain is now widely accepted as vital to the region and has expanded accordingly. The payback is measured by orders of magnitude. Moreover, half the operating costs are covered by the farebox. You don't get any return whatsoever from continuing the Island's profoundly unfortunate car dependency.

Repurpose the section between Langford and Mill Bay as a replacement for the Malahat Highway. Rail bed for northbound traffic existing highway for southbound.

@@bruce876rail is cheaper than road to build operate and maintain, the government straight up said they aren’t planning on building any more roads as they bankrupt Us but trains don’t

Pourquoi pas le deux? Trails are low-maintenance but are also ableist and very rarely get people travelling intercity. This railway right of way is already intercity in extent

Really hope this doesn't happen. Would be so depressing to accept that rail will never happen. Multi use path is nice, but it is a vast underutilization of this amazing corridor. Even if it takes another decade, we need to wait until we build a train

I like how the comments assume it will cost billions. Would be curious to know how they got that