Stressing the urgent need for action, the Capital Regional District’s transportation committee is urging the CRD board to advocate strongly for senior levels of government to protect the 295-kilometre Island Rail Corridor.
Victoria Coun. Ben Isitt pointed out the federal government has no sitting MPs on the Island to champion the cause and there has been little action from the province.
“I’m worried. I think local government action is going to be needed to make this happen,” he said.
“For whatever reason, there’s been a deadlock, whether it’s at the staff level or the elected level, there just hasn’t been action from the province to revitalize this essential corridor.”
A court decision last fall in a case where the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation claimed a portion of E&N Railway land that cuts through its reserve gave the federal government until March 2023 to decide if it wants to restore the rail line and be willing to help fund it.
The E&N used to run between Victoria and Courtenay, but has not provided passenger service since 2011 due to the poor condition of its tracks.
The Island Corridor Foundation — composed of six members representing regional districts and six members representing First Nations within the corridor — owns the corridor and has most recently been seeking federal and provincial support for a $431-million rail system that will offer a passenger and freight service between Courtenay and Victoria.
The foundation’s business plan suggests construction costs would be $381 million, with another $50 million needed to buy rolling stock.
Money to set up the service and upgrade rail-corridor infrastructure would come from provincial and federal governments if they agree to support the plan.
“I think to get the federal and provincial governments to act, we do need a co-ordinated effort of the various municipalities and regional districts and that’s going to take elected officials participating and not just leaving it to our staff,” Isitt said.
Isitt said that given the substantial funding needs of restoring rail on the corridor and the fact that all major transportation infrastructure is subsidized, all levels of government need to work together.
Isitt said the CRD “can’t sit idly by and expect that the [foundation], which doesn’t have the power of taxation to support operations, will somehow revitalize the railroad.
“We really have to look at what should the local government contribution towards the subsidization of rail operations be? What should the regional contribution be? What should the provincial contribution be and what should the federal contribution be?”
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