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;

RailBus services are a

the RailBus brand is used in several places around BC for rail services under contract to various departments of the UTA; in the Lower Mainland, there are three RailBus services, one operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway, two by the Washington & British Columbia Railway.

BCR Klinaklini - Anahim Lake: school train BCR Alexis Creek - Tsi Del Del: school train BCR Tatla Lake - Tsi Del Del: school train BCR Anaham - Williams Lake: school train BCR Bella Coola - Talchako: daily 6:00 am to 11:00 pm, departing on the even hour from Bella Coola, and on the odd hour from Talchako. BCR Armstrong - Kamloops - Brocklehurst: daily 5:30 am to 12:30 am, departing on the even hour from Brocklehurst, and on the odd hour from Armstrong. BCR Fort St James - Tachie: school train CP Port Moody - Belcarra: daily half-hourly 4:45 am to 9:45 pm, hourly 10:15 pm to 1:15 am. Operated under contract to Greater Vancouver Transit Authority. CP Cranbrook - Kimberley: 5x daily W&BC Cloverdale - Tsawwassen Ferry: daily 5:00 am to 11:00 pm, departing on the odd hour from Cloverdale, and on the even hour from Tsawwassen Ferry. Operated under contract to Greater Vancouver Transit Authority. W&BC Cloverdale - Abbotsford: daily 6:00 am to 11:00 pm, departing on the even hour from Cloverdale, and on the odd hour from Abbotsford. Operated under contract to Greater Vancouver Transit Authority. W&BC/BCR Princeton - Copper Mountain: workdays only for mine workers at Copper Mountain K&A Lardo - Beaton: 6x daily.

--- RailBus BCR Duncan - Deerholme - Lake Cowichan - Domforco: workdays only, for Domforco employees only BCR Cumberland - Royston - Courtenay: workdays only, hourly 5:10 am to 10:10 am, hourly 3:40 pm to 7:40 pm RBCN Nimpkish - Kokish - Telegraph Cove - Kokish - Port McNeill: school train RBCN Suquash - Sara Lake - Quatsino: school train MBR Campbell River - Bloedel - Tla'matakw Junction - Tla'matakw: workdays only, for Lafarge employees only

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,, as the case may be. Most RailBus services are contracted to the BCR, but several are operated by the Canadian Pacific, the Washington & British Columbia, the RBCN Railway, and the Kootenay & Arrowhead. All use single-unit diesel railcars except for the Armstrong–Kamloops Airport train, which uses EMU trainsets.

The RailBus services operated by the BCR are as follows:

Duncan – Deerholme – Lake Cowichan – Domforco: four return trips on workdays only for Domforco employees only. Operated under contract to Domforco. Cumberland – Royston – Courtenay: 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. Operated under contract to the Comox Valley Transit System, a department of the UTA. Klinaklini – Ulh'kacho: school train, operated 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 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 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 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. Bella Coola – Talchako: 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. Armstrong – Kamloops – Kamloops Airport: daily 05:30 to 00:30, departing on the even hour from Kamloops Airport, and on the odd hour from Armstrong. Operated under contract to Kamloops Transit, a department of the UTA. Fort St James – Tachie: school train, operated under contract to School District 91 Nechako Lakes. Operates on school days, going to Fort St James in the morning and returning to Tachie the afternoon. Nequatque – Lillooet: twice daily except Christmas Day, 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. Princeton – Copper Mountain: four return trips on workdays only for mine workers. Although this line is owned by the W&BC, the service is operated by the BCR with a BCR diesel car under contract to the Copper Mountain Mine Co.

The W&BC operates two RailBus services, both under contract to the Greater Vancouver Transit Authority:

Cloverdale – Tsawwassen Ferry: scheduled to meet BC Ferries sailings to and from Tsawwassen. Cloverdale – Abbotsford: daily 6:00 am to 11:00 pm, departing on the even hour from Cloverdale, and on the odd hour from Abbotsford.

The RBCN Railway operates two RailBus services, both under contract to School District 85 Vancouver Island North. These school trains run only on school days.

Nimpkish – Kokish – Telegraph Cove – Kokish – Port McNeill: 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. Suquash – Sara Lake – Quatsino: Operates on school days, going to Quatsino in the morning and returning to Suquash in the afternoon. Open only to schoolchildren.