VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. – The province will start an assessment project to check track conditions a dormant island rail line.
E&N Railway has not been in use since 2011. In December, Island Corridor Foundation, provincial, municipal and First Nations members met together to discuss the future of the railway.
The rail runs from Victoria to Courtenay, with a midpoint extension in Port Alberni.
According to various reports, the provincial government is planning a detailed assessment of all tracks and bridges that are part of the E&N rail line.
Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA Mitzi Dean said they are not sure how long the assessment will take or how much it will cost.
Island Corridor Foundation CEO Larry Stevenson said with the increasing development and population on the island, alternative routes such as the rail line will be essential for commuters.
