ICF releases business case in support of rail service restoration on Vancouver Island

The Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) has released a business case that supports the full restoration of rail service to Vancouver Island.

The document provides a case for the upgrading of the entire 290 km rail system on the Island, from Victoria to Courtenay and from Parksville to Port Alberni.

According to the foundation, the system would support tourism excursion operations, as well as freight operations.

The report says that a railway would add a more environmentally sustainable transportation option to the Island.

The ICF said that automobile travel produces one and half times the CO2 per passenger kilometre of a bus, and three times that of a commuter train.

"Trains are four to five times more efficient than trucks. Just one locomotive can haul a tonne of goods more than 220 kilometres on a single litre of fuel, while removing upwards of 300 trucks from our congested roads in the process."

“We are very pleased to bring forward the business case as it defines the very real and urgent need for safe, efficient, reliable, and environmentally sustainable transportation options on Vancouver Island,” said Larry Stevenson, CEO of ICF said.

“It also demonstrates that the proposed rail system can address those needs, it is financially viable, and can be sustained for future generations”

IFC estimates the construction costs for the project to be $381 million, plus $50 million for the acquisition of rail equipment for a total cost of $431 million.

Co-Chair for the ICF, Dr. Judith Sayers, said that the business case highlights some unresolved issues from the original land grants that brought the railway to the Island.

“We believe the resolution of those issues is critical to bringing rail back to the Island and call on the provincial and federal governments to work with Island First Nations to settle those issues as part of this proposal,” said Sayers.