The Island Corridor Foundation has reached a deal with CPR to acquire its portion of the E&N Railway. "The deal with the CPR is pretty much signed, sealed and delivered," Jack Peake, foundation chairman said Thursday. He did not disclose the details of the deal, but said it will likely be officially signed at the foundation's Annual General Meeting. While a date and a venue for the AGM has not yet been announced, Peake expects it will be held near the end of March. "It is hugely historic, no doubt about it," he said about the deal. The foundation, made up of a consortium of municipal and regional governments, is also moving full steam ahead to acquire the 289 kilometres of track RailAmerica owns on Vancouver Island, Peake said. "We are a lot closer to being able to do something with RailAmerica," he said. "We also have a number of potential operators, not just one, wanting to run the railway." Peake attributed the success of forward moving talks with RailAmerica to its success in reaching a deal with CPR. (Nanaimo Daily News 050311)
Footnote: E& N railway was built in 1800's by Robert Dunsmuir a local coal mine owner to transport his coal to victoria and to shipping locations..later he sold it to the Canadian Pacific Railway and 100 plus years later its once again being turned over back into public hands..
Plans are to still keep the Via Rail Dayliner budd car service and several people are also intrests in setting up a heritage steam and railway museam at the round house in victoria..Some very intresting history will here to stay.
Brock R Bailey Victoria BC Canada
snipped-for-privacy@shaw.ca