One of the world’s largest electric vehicle producers says the E&N railway corridor between Victoria and Langford, now sitting idle, could be better used as a rapid-transit route.
China-based BYD, which produces electric buses and other vehicles, is floating the idea of an electric-bus rapid-transit route along the 15-kilometre stretch of railway between Victoria and Langford.
“We’ve been listening to the complaints and what various parties have been saying about the [corridor],” said Ted Dowling, vice- president of BYD Canada. “It’s a viable option and less costly [than rail].”
Dowling said his company, which has delivered more than 25,000 electric buses worldwide, is throwing out the idea to see if there’s interest, and if there are partnerships worth establishing to make it happen.
He said the vision would be to have as many as 10 electric buses, at a cost of $850,000 Cdn each, running over concrete laid on either side of the track. The rail track would be left intact.
“There are examples of this being done around the world, and the best thing about putting buses on it is if it doesn’t work out, you can always re-task the buses,” he said.
Dowling said BYD has not put together a fully costed proposal. To date, he has met only with Langford Mayor Stew Young to discuss the possibility.
Young, who has called for B.C. Transit to take over the E&N railway corridor from the non-profit Island Corridor Foundation and explore the business case for commuter rail between Langford and Victoria, said he just wants to see the corridor used.
“I don’t care if they put a train or a bus on it, but let’s get to work on it,” he said. “It’s needed and should have been done five to 10 years ago. Let’s get a plan in place that will help the region move back and forth.”
Passenger service ceased on the E&N line in March 2011 due to safety concerns with the tracks.
Since then, there have been calls to at least establish commuter rail between Victoria and Langford.
Developer Ken Mariash, who owns Focus Equities and at one point considered purchasing the full 200-kilometre E&N corridor, has proposed spending as much as $500,000 to study the business case for commuter rail.
Mariash said getting it up and running could be done quickly and for about $10 million, while he said upgrades to the full 200-km corridor would cost more than $150 million.
Mariash said it likely wouldn’t be economical to spend millions on buses and the infrastructure necessary to establish a bus route on the corridor. “But you could get the [rail line] repaired next year and run it,” he said, noting it could have a terminus near his Bayview and Roundhouse lands at Songhees, from which commuters could hop onto a bus to continue their journeys.
Graham Bruce, chief executive of the Island Corridor Foundation, which owns the rail line, said they are open to all uses of the corridor, including running electric buses on either side of the tracks.
“This is about different needs for different aspects of the corridor — we’re wide open to that,” he said. “This was all about connecting communities and moving people back and forth between communities on Vancouver Island.
“It’s an incredibly valuable corridor for Vancouver Island.”
