- Victoria
-
The Victoria – Courtenay train is operated using Rail Diesel Cars, seen here in Qualicum Beach.
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[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
- ^ 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
- ^ a b Johnston, Bob (May 2008), "British Columbia's backcountry locals", Trains (Waukesha, WI USA: Kalmbach Publishing) 68 (5): 50–55, ISSN 0041-0934
- ^ "Chronological City History". Victoria Heritage Foundation. http://www.victoriaheritagefoundation.ca/chroncityhistory.html. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
- ^ 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.[dead link]
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "E&N Rail cars leaving Island for good". VicNews. November 5, 2011. http://www.vicnews.com/news/133260528.html. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
- ^ 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
Via Rail Current routes Canadian • Ocean • Montreal – Gaspé • Montreal – Senneterre • Montreal – Jonquière • Sudbury – White River • Winnipeg – Churchill • Jasper – Prince Rupert • Victoria – Courtenay • Corridor services • Maple Leaf (shared with Amtrak)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 ContinentalOther ViaFast • List of Via Rail stationsCategories:- Rail transport stubs
- Passenger rail transport in British Columbia
- Via Rail routes
- Transportation on Vancouver Island
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
