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Railway restoration just a fantasy

Welcome to Fantasy Island!
18575665_web1_PQN-Letters

Welcome to Fantasy Island!

I continue to be perplexed by the letters in support of a rebuild of the Island railway.

The original line closed through lack of demand, the growth of car and truck transport and an inability to turn a profit. It has since fallen into complete disrepair and would need to be rebuilt from scratch to current environmental and safety standards.

The cost would be enormous, running into many billions.

Major commuter train projects require connections between large population centres and even then the economics are marginal. The population on Vancouver Island will not remotely meet this threshold critical mass for many decades. Would not the relatively inexpensive conversion of the line to a bike/pedestrian trail that supports local tourism such as the successful Galloping Goose trail make more sense?

Leave the still underutilized four-lane Highway 19 corridor for future growth of transport for goods and people through electric and autonomous vehicles.

Robin Dixon

Qualicum Beach