RailBus

RailBus is the name given to a number of passenger rail services in British Columbia operated by various railway companies under contract to several municipal public transit agencies (subordinate to the Urban Transit Authority, which is a department of the Ministry of Transport and Communications), to school districts, to First Nation governments, or to industries.

The Schedule of Railway Fares established by the Ministry of Labour, Industry, & Railways, which governs the ticket prices of passenger trains in BC, does not apply to RailBus services. Instead, fares are determined in the contract under which the service is operated and thus vary; those contracted to school districts or industries are generally not open to the general public and are free of charge.

Most RailBus services are operated with a single diesel railcar.

Public access
All but one of these are operated under contract to a regional transit authority; as such, their scheduling and fare structure is integrated into that of the transit system in question. Contract terms invariably specify that the railway company must adhere to the timetable, which are prepared jointly by the transit authority and the railway's scheduling department. Generally, these services are operated on lines that see light traffic, making it relatively easy to keep schedule.

Vancouver Island

 * Cumberland – Royston – Courtenay: operated by BC Rail under contract to the Comox Valley Transit System. Daily service, travel time 25 minutes each way; first trip departs Cumberland at 06:10, last trip departs Courtenay at 00:40. On workdays there is extra service: in the morning, the first trip departs Cumberland at 05:40 and last trip departing Courtenay at 10:10; in the afternoon, first trip departs Cumberland at 14:40 and last trip departs Courtenay at 18:10.


 * Nimpkish – Kokish – Telegraph Cove – Kokish – Port McNeill: operated by the RBCN Railway under contract to School District 85 Vancouver Island North. Operates on school days, going to Port McNeill in the morning and returning to Nimpkish in the afternoon. Being the only passenger service on the Telegraph Cove Branch Line, this train is open to passengers other than schoolchildren. However, whereas the travel is free of charge for the children, other passengers are charged at the standard Ministry second-class chair fare.

Lower Mainland
All of these are operated under contract to the Greater Vancouver Transit Authority.


 * Port Moody – Belcarra: operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Monday through Friday service runs half-hourly 04:45 to 21:45 and hourly 22:15 to 01:15; Saturday, Sunday, and statutory holiday service runs hourly 06:20 to 23:20.


 * Cloverdale – Tsawwassen Ferry: operated by the Washington & British Columbia Railway. Daily service 04:00 to 01:00, departing on the even hour from Cloverdale, and on the odd hour from Tsawwassen Ferry.


 * Cloverdale - Abbotsford: operated by the Washington & British Columbia Railway. Daily service 06:00 to 23:00, departing on the odd hour from Cloverdale, and on the even hour from Abbotsford.

Interior

 * Armstrong – Kamloops – Kamloops Airport: operated by BC Rail. Service daily 05:30 to 00:30, departing on the even hour from Kamloops International Airport, and on the odd hour from Armstrong. Operated under contract to Kamloops Transit, a department of the UTA. Unlike most other RailBus services, this is operated with electric multiple-unit trainsets.


 * Bella Coola – Talchako: operated by BC Rail. Runs daily 06:00 to 23:00, departing on the even hour from Bella Coola, and on the odd hour from Talchako. Operated under contract to Bella Coola Transit, a department of the UTA.


 * Nequatque – Lillooet: operated by BC Rail. Runs twice daily except Christmas Day, with departures from Nequatque at 08:30, 12:30 and 15:30, and from Lillooet at 10:30, 14:30, and 17:30; travel time is 90 minutes one-way. Stops at Nequatque, McGillivray, Seton Portage, Tsal’álh, and Lillooet. Operated under contract to the Seton Lake Indian Band. Open to the public, a one-way ticket between Nequatque and Lillooet costs £1.13s.6d, a return ticket costs £3 (a discount of 7/- from two one-way fares).


 * Cranbrook – Kimberley: operated by Canadian Pacific. Five return trips daily, operated under contract to Cranbrook Regional Transit, a department of the UTA.


 * Lardo – Beaton: operated by the Kootenay & Arrowhead Railway. Six return trips daily. The K&A was established in 1986 as a public-private partnership between the West Kootenay Transit System and several private investors to revive the former CPR line between Lardo and Beaton, which had been abandoned in 1984, specifically to operate this railbus service.

Limited access
Most of these are school train services intended to transport schoolchildren from remote communities to their nearest school, but there are some which are for the transportation of workers to their workplace.

Vancouver Island

 * Duncan – Deerholme – Lake Cowichan – Domforco: operated by BC Rail under contract to Domforco. Four return trips on workdays only for Domforco employees only.


 * Campbell River - Bloedel - Tla'matakw Junction - Tla'matakw: operated by the Menzies Bay Railway under contract to Lafarge BC. One return trip for each shift (presently two) on workdays only for employees of the Lafarge facility in Tla'matakw.


 * Suquash – Sara Lake – Quatsino: school train, operated by the RBCN Railway under contract to School District 85 Vancouver Island North. Operates on school days, going to Quatsino in the morning and returning to Suquash in the afternoon.

Interior

 * Klinaklini – Ulh’kacho: school train, operated by BC Rail under contract to School District 27 Cariboo-Chilcotin. Operates on school days, going to Ulh'kacho in the morning and returning to Klinaklini in the afternoon.


 * Alexis Creek – Tsi Del Del: school train, operated by BC Rail under contract to Tŝideldel First Nation. Operates on school days, going to Tsi Del Del in the morning and returning to Alexis Creek in the afternoon.


 * Tatla Lake – Tsi Del Del: school train, operated by BC Rail under contract to Tŝideldel First Nation. Operates on school days, going to Tsi Del Del in the morning and returning to Tatla Lake in the afternoon.


 * Anaham – Williams Lake: school train, operated by BC Rail under contract to School District 27 Cariboo-Chilcotin. Operates on school days, going to Williams Lake in the morning and returning to Anaham in the afternoon.


 * Princeton – Copper Mountain: operated by BC Rail under contract to the Copper Mountain Mine Company. Four return trips on workdays only for mine workers. Although this line is owned by the W&BC, the service is operated by BC Rail with a BC Rail diesel car.

North

 * Fort St James – Tachie: school train, operated under contract by BC Rail to School District 91 Nechako Lakes. Operates on school days, going to Fort St James in the morning and returning to Tachie the afternoon.