Transportation in British Columbia

Okook pej kopa Chinook Wawa: Kinchoch Kolompi Illahee yaka ko-klatawa

Transportation in British Columbia is of vital importance to the functioning of the Dominion's society and economy.

Road transport
British Columbia has a well-developed network of highways and trunk roads.

Rail transport
As in many countries, rail transport is an extremely important component of BC's transportation system. As in the rest of North America, the transport of freight comprises the bulk of rail traffic in the Dominion; however, passenger transport has been and continues to be of major importance in BC - in contrast to railways on the rest of the continent, where the importance of the railway to the movement of passengers declined after the 1960s. It is only since the dawn of the 21st century that its significance has started to increase once again, with the introduction of true high-speed rail service.

In BC, rail transport is provided by a number of companies, both Crown corporations and privately owned companies.

Companies based in BC

 * British Columbia Railway (BCR), Crown, 4885 miles (mainland: 4461 miles; Vancouver Island: 424 miles)
 * Washington & British Columbia Railway (W&BC), Crown-private partnership, 694 miles in BC and Washington state, USA
 * Skeena Pacific Railway (SPR), private, 523.25 miles
 * Royal BC Navy Railway Flotilla (RBCN), Crown (RBCN, 271.6 miles (mainland: 20 miles; Vancouver Island: 251.6 miles)
 * British Columbia Hydro Railway (BCH), Crown BC Hydro, 186.1 miles (Greater Vancouver Metro: 70.4 miles; mainland general service: 93.7 miles; Victoria Metro: 22 miles)
 * Kootenay & Arrowhead Railway (K&A), private-municipal partnership, 61.5 miles
 * Menzies Bay Railway (MBR), private, 24.4 miles
 * Spokane International Railroad (SI), Crown-private partnership, 191.2 miles (15.4 miles in BC)

Companies based outside of BC

 * Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), private (Canadian), 930 miles in BC
 * North Western Pacific Railway (NWP), private (US), 120 miles in BC
 * Canadian National Railway (CN), Crown (Canadian), 27 miles in BC

Air transport
Commercial air transport is less important in BC than rail transport, but it nevertheless plays an important role, especially in the North and along the central and northern coast, where the road and rail network is less well developed or nonexistent. Air traffic for passenger and freight is provided by a number of Crown corporations and privately owned companies; however, service on routes deemed socially essential that offer little chance of profitability is provided by transport aircraft of the Royal BC Air Force.


 * Airports of British Columbia

Major airlines of BC

 * Air British Columbia (domestic and international, scheduled)
 * Central Mountain Air (domestic, scheduled and charter)
 * Harbour Air (domestic and international, scheduled)
 * Inter-Dominion Airways (international, scheduled)
 * Pacific Coastal Airlines (domestic and international, scheduled and charter)
 * Pacific Western Air Lines (domestic and international passenger, scheduled; domestic cargo, scheduled and charter)