Those proposing a passenger rail service on the line between the Lower Mainland and Whistler, and perhaps beyond, this week conducted a test run of the new rail cars the proponents hope will begin bringing visitors to Whistler beginning next summer.
 
The test of the Diesel-Multiple Units (DMUs) which the proponents, Great Canadian Railtours Ltd. and Whistler Rail Tours, took place on Wednesday from North Vancouver to Whistler.
 
The run was set up at the request of the two proponents, who wanted to show Canadian National (CN) and BC Rail officials "how the trip looks from the ground level," said Graham Dallas, CN's Vancouver-based director of communications.
 
While Dallas said the passenger list for the special trip wasn't available, he said it would include officials of both proponents as well as those from BC Rail and CN.
 
John Haibeck, president of Whistler Rail Tours, said members of Whistler Council and representatives of Tourism Whistler were planning to make the return trip to North Vancouver, returning to Whistler by van.
 
The last official passenger trip on the line took place 31 Oct 2002, when BC Rail's Cariboo Prospector service ceased operations.
 
Since then, the B.C. government, which still owns BC Rail, has taken steps to privatize operation of the freight service and sell it to CN, which won the right to negotiate a contract in a four-party tender process.
 
As a condition of the sale, the proponent was required to make provision for a tourist-oriented train service at least as far north as Whistler and perhaps beyond, to Prince George.
 
Last year, BC Rail and CN conducted a request for proposals on the passenger service and have narrowed down the list to two proponents.
 
While Dallas said CN and BC Rail are not releasing their names, Great Canadian and Whistler Rail Tours are widely known to be the two finalists.
 
Great Canadian is the operator of the successful Rocky Mountaineer Railtours service.
 
Whistler Rail Tours, which is proposing to operate the service in conjunction with VIA Rail, is owned by some of the same people who are working to construct the Nita Lake Lodge development in Whistler.
 
That development is to include a new, high-end rail station in Creekside.
 
Both proponents are proposing to use the same DMUs built in the United States by Colorado Railcar.
 
Dallas said the timing of an announcement on a successful proponent and/or proponents to operate the passenger service depends largely on a decision by the federal Competition Bureau on whether to allow CN's $1 billion purchase of BC Rail to proceed.
 
"That transaction (the BC Rail purchase by CN) is still under review by the Competition Bureau," Dallas said.
 
"We're still waiting to hear from the Competition Bureau. Until that time there's not much we can do in terms of making a final decision on the passenger RFP."
 
Graham Gilley of Great Canadian Railtours confirmed Wednesday's trip, but added, "It's something that's been put together by CN."
 
Said Dallas, "Essentially they (CN and BC Rail officials) want a better look at the feel and quality of the experience of the trip from Vancouver to Whistler."
 
The two proponents have said they hope to begin operating the service by the summer of 2005.
 
Author unknown.