Whereas in October 2002, passenger rail service between North Vancouver and Prince George was discontinued seriously damaging community life, tourism and the economy of those communities and further burdening highway systems, the environment and personal finances; And whereas travelling by rail is a more ecologically and environmentally friendly method of transportation with regard to air quality and climate pollution and considering vehicle travel is one of the fastest growing contributors to green house gas emissions accounting for about 25 per cent of energy related carbon dioxide emissions: Therefore be it resolved that the provincial government consider reinstituting passenger rail service between North Vancouver and Prince George.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure As passenger rail is an environmentally friendly way to connect communities, the provincial government supports the possibility of passenger rail in corridors where sufficient demand exists for the service to be sustainable. When passenger rail service between Prince George and North Vancouver ended in 2002, the service had been losing several million dollars every year. The rail cars also needed replacement or refurbishment at an estimated cost of tens of millions of dollars. Highway improvements have reduced travel time between Prince George and Vancouver to less than 9 hours; air travel takes approximately one hour; by comparison, 14 hours by rail was no longer seen as an attractive option. Given that market demand for passenger rail service along this route is marginal, and the costs to taxpayers would be substantial, the provincial government is not considering financial support for the reinstatement of the service at this time.