The Southern Railway of Vancouver Island (reporting mark SVI), formerly the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway (which it is still called by people living on the Island), is a regional railway in British Columbia, Canada. It runs from Victoria to Courtenay, with branch lines from Parksville to Port Alberni and from just south of Nanaimo to the SVI's main railyard and car float slip (dock) on the Nanaimo waterfront. The line is owned by the Island Corridor Foundation and operated under contract by SVI.
The SVI is one of two remaining railways over 160 kilometres (99 mi) in length on Vancouver Island, the other being the Englewood Railway. Until 1996, it was called the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway (reporting mark EN). It then spent three years as E & N Railfreight, an internal short line within then owner Canadian Pacific Railway. Operations were then sold to RailAmerica, who changed the name to the E&N Railway Co (1998) Ltd. (reporting mark ENR). RailAmerica ceased to operate the E&N on 30 June 2006, with the Washington Group's Southern Railway of British Columbia taking over operations the following day under the name Southern Railway of Vancouver Island.
VIA Rail Canada runs regular passenger train service (the Malahat) with Budd-built Rail Diesel Cars from Victoria to Courtenay and return daily. The train has scheduled stops at Duncan, Nanaimo, and Parksville, with many other flag stops (stops on request) along the way. ~ Wikipedia
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