Welcox Yard in Nanaimo
Des and Benno discuss the use of the Island Corridor for carrying freight. Using a number of studies, right up to early 2026, they demonstrate that trains cannot begin to compete with trucks over the short distances on the Island.
Is covering 4 kms of existing track from 29th St to Royston not redundant considering the proposed Rotary trail which runs parallel a short distance away? I‘’ve also noticed recent construction in efforts to widen Royston Rd west of Hwy 19A (to include a cycling lane in both directions). Would this upgrade not offer a safer route to & from Royston Elem?
Great questions, Jake.
On redundancy: the Rotary trail runs parallel for only a short stretch, not the full 4 km between 29th St and Royston, so it doesn’t replace the need for a continuous, separated route along this section of corridor.
On the Royston Rd widening: That’s a welcome improvement for local access to Royston Elementary, but it’s a different route serving a different purpose. It doesn’t provide the continuous, car-free connection to Courtenay that the rail corridor would.
On cost: this is really the core issue. The 2009 Lanarc/Newcastle feasibility study looked specifically at building a trail beside the tracks rather than reusing the existing rail bed, and this 4 km stretch is exactly where that option gets expensive. There are 22 culverts along this section, including the crossing at Millard Creek (a fish-bearing stream), and building a new trail alongside the rail bed means engineering all of that drainage and creek-crossing infrastructure again from scratch, right next to infrastructure that already exists and works. The study’s own cost figures show building beside the track running several times more expensive per metre than using the existing rail bed and in the costliest sections, up to around ten times more.
Most importantly: there’s currently no funding set aside for a beside-the-track trail. The rail bed, by contrast, has been sitting unused by passenger or freight rail for 15 years, with the engineering (grading, drainage, culverts) already in place. Reusing it isn’t just cheaper, it means it can happen within the next year. It also avoids re-clearing vegetation and disturbing the riparian zone around Millard Creek a second time.