New calls for B.C. government to create a province-wide passenger rail strategy | Daily Hive

Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit. (SMART)

The leader of the BC Green Party is urging the BC NDP-led provincial government to invest in a sweeping province-wide passenger rail strategy, asserting it could generate thousands of jobs while improving transportation access across the province.

“We can create thousands of jobs and connect BC’s communities through passenger rail,” said party leader Emily Lowan.

“Investment in affordable transit is an investment in B.C.’s workers.”

Lowan framed the recent employment losses and rising cost of living as urgent issues requiring immediate government action, including the creation of stable, unionized jobs. She pointed to public transit infrastructure as a key opportunity, suggesting that much of the necessary rail groundwork is already in place.

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“We already have many of the tracks and corridors we need, it’s just a matter of putting British Columbians to work to build and operate the affordable passenger rail that unions and communities have been asking for,” said Lowan.

“Working families are being cut off from the rest of their province, they deserve an affordable solution for transit.”

The push calls for a province-wide passenger rail expansion developed in partnership with First Nations.

Suggested routes include projects on Vancouver Island using the Island Corridor and connections through the Sea to Sky Corridor, Metro Vancouver, and the Fraser Valley, as well as a northern route linking Prince George to Vancouver by revitalizing the historic Cariboo Prospector line.

Notably, there is a near-term passenger rail infrastructure opportunity on the Sea to Sky Corridor, as Canadian National intends to discontinue operating BC Rail’s infrastructure between Squamish and 100 Mile House. The provincial government has until July 2026 to act on the rare opportunity to reclaim this major railway to preserve its long-term use for the movement of goods and the potential reintroduction of passenger rail, which would complement the Sea to Sky Highway reaching Squamish and Whistler.

At least two local elected officials — Green MLA Jeremy Valeriote for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky and Liberal MP Patrick Weiler for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country — have also been pushing for regional public transit services along the Sea to Sky Corridor, including BC Transit bus services on the highway and passenger rail.

Lowan adds that the provincial government’s planning for such a broader strategy could build on the work by non-profit organization Mountain Valley Institute.

In 2021, the provincial government completed a highly preliminary study exploring expanding commuter rail and regional rail in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. That study explored the possibility of extending TransLink’s existing West Coast Express commuter rail line to Abbotsford and reintroducing passenger rail services along the Interurban railway reaching Chilliwack.

During the Fall 2024 provincial election campaign, the BC NDP promised to extend the West Coast Express from its current terminus of Mission to Chilliwack, and create a business plan for a new commuter rail service linking Metro Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton.

According to the Greens, such a province-wide passenger rail infrastructure strategy could be funded through increased taxes on high-income earners and large corporations.

Lowan also emphasized the potential economic benefits tied to tourism, citing data that rail passengers tend to spend significantly more than other travellers. The party argues that expanding train service could both stimulate local economies and improve mobility for residents.

“Widespread, affordable, passenger trains benefit every single British Columbian,” she continued. “Workers see the escalating cost-of-living and lack of stable work as emergencies, and it’s time our government did too.”

In recent years, B.C.’s neighbour of Alberta has been developing a far-reaching passenger rail strategy aimed at strengthening connections between its major urban centres, rapidly growing regions, and tourism hubs, with a potential mix of high-speed rail and regional rail. The strategy aims to increase economic productivity, improve travel times, attract investment, reduce vehicle traffic on highways, and bolster tourism.

Central to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s plan is passenger rail service between Calgary and Edmonton, with potential stops in communities such as Red Deer along the way. The Government of Alberta has positioned passenger rail as a long-term solution to population growth, traffic congestion, and emissions, while also widely opening the door to private investment and partnerships and phased construction.

Map of the vision for new passenger rail lines across Alberta, April 2024. (Government of Alberta)

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