Freight service will continue from Nanaimo to Duncan after part of the E&N Rail Line over the Chemainus River passed inspection Tuesday.
Frank Butzelaar, president of Southern Railway, confirmed Tuesday that the freight service will remain in tact.
Butzelaar confirmed the inspection of the railway — with a full freight load passing over it Tuesday — showed no significant deterioration from its last inspection in February 2011.
There was confusion over the viability of the freight service and rail line after Duncan’s Top Shelf Feeds owner Robert Davison said this week he received notice before Christmas from Southern Railway of B.C., which operates the service, that it couldn’t continue to ship freight from Nanaimo to Duncan because of the line’s deterioration.
Graham Bruce, chief operating officer of the Island Corridor Foundation — the group representing the municipalities and First Nations that own the line — said Monday the line is inspected by track and train engineers on a weekly basis. He anticipated the positive result from Tuesday’s inspection.
Bridge upgrades will be done over the next year. Because of safety concerns, passenger service was halted in early 2011 and freight shipments have been altered to reduce weight and speed.
