Slahaltkan Line

The Slahaltkan Line is an electrified and double-tracked 71.3 mile railway line of the British Columbia Railway (BC Rail) running from Kamloops on the Inter-Dominion Line to Armstrong, where it connects with the Okanagan Line and the Canadian Pacific Railway's Okanagan Subdivision. It also connects to the CPR's Thompson and Shuswap Subdivisions at Labyrinth

The Slahaltkan Line is Line 31 of BC Rail's Fraser Region.

The section between Labyrinth and Campbell Creek is colloquially known as "the iron expressway" by locals, as there are four tracks side by side along this section - the two tracks of the Slahaltkan Line, and the two tracks of CP's Vancouver-Calgary main line. At Labyrinth, also known as "Old Kamloops Station", there is a small repair facility for the electric railbusses used on the Armstrong - Brocklehurst RailBus service. The station takes its name from the adjacent Waterfront Park Labyrinth.

History
The Slahaltkan Line was opened in 1925 by the British Columbia Railway. It was double-tracked and electrified in 1942.

Freight
The Slahaltkan Line is important for freight service moving goods between the Okanagan the rest of BC - fruits, as well as automobiles and aircraft components, and other commodities. Three scheduled through freights are run on this line, along with several local and wayfreights run as extras.

Passenger
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.

Limited Express
Limited Express trains are BC Rail's fastest and most prestigious trains, making very few or no intermediate stops. They feature free baggage handling for both first and second classes, along with a cafeteria car open to both classes. The Slahaltkan Line sees one international Limited Express service.

All international Limited Express trains feature full-service dining cars open to first and second class passengers, sleeping cars (first class) and sleeperette cars (second class), as well as baggage handling, free of charge for first class passengers, or for a surcharge for second class passengers. International services may be used for domestic travel, but for travel between three or fewer domestic stops a surcharge is applied.


 * 133/134 Okanagan Limited (BCR/Amtrak): Kamloops, BC – Spokane, Washington, USA
 * Daily service with a morning departure from each end using one Amtrak consist and one BC Rail consist. This train runs over the trackage of three railways: BC Rail between Kamloops and Sooyoos, the Washington & British Columbia between Sooyoos and Oroville, Washington, and the Burlington Northern & Gulf between Oroville and Spokane. A BC Rail locomotive works the train on the electrified line between Kamloops and Kelowna, a W&BC locomotive and crew is used between Kelowna and Oroville, and an Amtrak locomotive and crew works the train between Oroville and Spokane. Intermediate stops:
 * BC: Falkland, Armstrong, Vernon, Kelowna, Naramata, Penticton, Skaha, Oliver, Sooyoos (BC customs checks)
 * Washington: Oroville (US customs checks), Chelan, Wenatchee

Express
Regular Express trains stop more often than Limited Express trains, but do not make unscheduled stops, featuring baggage handling free of charge to first class passengers, and available to second class passengers for a surcharge, and all include either a full-service dining car or a cafeteria car open to all classes. For travel between three or fewer stops a surcharge is applied. There is one Express train on the Slahaltkan Line.


 * 35.1-3/36.1-3 Okanagan Highlander: Kamloops – Sooyoos
 * Three daily return trips with a cafeteria car in the summer timetable, two in the winter timetable. Intermediate stops: Falkland, Armstrong, Vernon, Oyama, Kelowna, Naramata, Poplar Grove, Penticton, Skaha, Kaleden, Okanagan Falls, Oliver

Local
Local trains are passenger trains that make scheduled stops at all stations and halts along the route they serve. There is one Local trains on the Slahaltkan Line.


 * 3101E.1-4/3102E.1-4: Kamloops – Armstrong – Vernon
 * Four daily return trips operated by EMU, second class only with seat-side drink and snack service.

RailBus
The RailBus moniker is given to a Dominion-wide network of heavy rail transit operated under contract to the Ministry of Transport & Communication, various departments of the Urban Transit Authority, to school districts, or to First Nation governments, as the case may be. There is one RailBus service on the Slahaltkan Line.


 * Armstrong – Kamloops – Kamloops Airport: daily 05:30 to 00:30, departing on the even half hour from Kamloops International Airport (first train 6.30), and on the odd half hour from Armstrong (first train . Operated under contract to Kamloops Transit, a department of the UTA.

Timetable
NB: RailBus trains are not shown in this timetable.


 * "Down" is towards Kamloops; Down trains are superior to Up trains.
 * ↓↑ - train does not stop

Route
A yellow background indicates that that section of line is electrified; italic text indicates a closed station or connection.

● - Scheduled Limited Express, Express, Local, and RailBus stop • - Local and RailBus stop | - No passenger service