Tentative pact would restore passenger-rail service on Vancouver Island

Southern Railway of British Columbia Ltd. and VIA Rail Canada Inc. reached a tentative agreement last week to return passenger-rail service to Vancouver Island, B.C.

The tentative pact enables the Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) to access $20 million in infrastructure funding for track and bridge improvements, said ICF Co-Chair Mary Ashley in a press release.

"Through the partnership of federal, provincial and regional governments, Southern Rail and ICF will be able to improve the tracks and get passenger rail re-started," she said. "It will also provide the opportunity to aggressively pursue new and expanded rail services over the next 10 years."

The agreement still requires ratification by the three boards involved — Southern Railway, VIA and ICF, which owns the track. In addition, funding agreements need to be signed, bids need to proceed and nine months of trackwork must be completed before the trail service can begin, Ashley said.

VIA discontinued passenger-rail service on the island in 2011 after a portion of track was deemed unsafe.