Central Island South Line

The Central Island South Line is a 34.1 mile railway line of the British Columbia Railway (BC Rail) on Vancouver Island running from Saseenos on the South Coast Line to Deerholme on the Central Island Trunk Line.

The Central Island South Line is Line 131 of the Island Region of BC Rail.

= History = After opening the Victoria–Patricia Bay line in 1901, the Vancouver Island Railway undertook to connect Victoria to Port Alberni via a railway along the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, opening the first 27.5 milestage from Victoria to Sooke in 1903. From the very beginning of planning, Sooke was foreseen as a branchline station, with the main line would continue from Saseenos, 2.5 miles before Sooke. The next stage to be open proved to be the longest section opened at once: 48.7 miles from Saseenos to Lake Cowichan, opened in October 1905. Port Alberni was eventually reached in 1921.

When the VIR was absorbed by the British Columbia Railway in 1960, the Victoria–Saseenos–Port Alberni line was named Island Trunk Line, with the Saseenos–Sooke section being called the Sooke Branch Line. In 1970, two years after the BCR absorbed the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N), the Island Trunk Line was divided into three sections: the Victoria–Saseenos–Sooke section became the South Coast Line, the Saseenos–Deerholme–Port Alberni section became the Central Island Line; the Deerholme–Cowichan Bay branch remained the Cowichan Bay Branch as it had been since 1960. In 1974 this was changed once again to the present arrangement, with the Cowichan Bay–Deerholme–Port Alberni section becoming the Central Island Trunk Line, and the Deerholme–Saseenos portion becoming the Central Island South Line.

= Services = The Central Island South Line sees both passenger and freight operations.

Freight
Although freight service between Saseenos and Deerholme is fairly light.

Passenger
BC Rail operates three year-round services on the Central Island South Line, two Local and one Rapid; as well, in the summer timetable only, there is a second Rapid service. The Metro services and the Victoria–Sooke locals are operated with electric multiple-unit trainsets, all other trains are locomotive-hauled.

The various categories of passenger service are defined by the Ministry of Labour, Industry & Railways in conjunction with the Ministry of Transport & Communications; these categories are applicable to and used by all railways providing passenger service in British Columbia. Like all other railways in BC, ticket prices for BC Rail passenger trains are based on the Ministry's Schedule of Railway Fares. Exempt from this are the Victoria Metro trains, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Victoria Transit System.

Rapid
Rapid (also known as "semi-express") trains are similar to regular Express trains, making a limited number of scheduled stops, but stops can be booked up to three hours in advance at any station on the route that has passenger service.


 * 191/192 Central Island Rapid (BCR): Sooke – Port Alberni
 * Two daily return trips, first and second class chair cars only with seat-side drink and snack service. Scheduled intermediate stops: Saseenos, Shawnigan Beach, Deerholme, Lake Cowichan, Youbou, Kissinger, Ditidaht, Franklin


 * 193/194 Sportsman Rapid (BCR): Victoria Union – Youbou
 * Two daily return trips in the summer timetable only, first and second class chair cars only with seat-side drink and snack service. Scheduled intermediate stops: Colwood, Saseenos, Shawnigan Beach, Deerholme, Lake Cowichan

Local
Local trains are passenger trains that make scheduled stops at all stations and halts.


 * 1311.1-2/1312.1-2: Sooke – Lake Cowichan
 * Two daily return trips, second class only with seat-side drink and snack service.


 * 1313.1-2/1313.1-2: Sooke – Duncan
 * Two daily return trips, second class only with seat-side drink and snack service.

= Route =

♦ - Scheduled Rapid and Local stop • - Local stop; Rapid trains stop only with advance booking | - No passenger service