Kaoham Shuttle
The Kaoham Shuttle[1] is a diesel multiple unit (DMU) passenger service on CN's Squamish Subdivision near Lillooet, operating as a partnership between the railway and the Seton Lake Indian Band, whose communities it serves.[2] The train was started by BC Rail after the end of its passenger service in 2002 between North Vancouver and Prince George via Squamish, Lillooet, Williams Lake, and Quesnel. The train runs daily between Lillooet and Seton Portage.[3] After BC Rail was sold to CN the Kaoham Shuttle kept BC Rail logos but was repainted in CN colours. Currently this is the only train that operates between Lillooet and Seton Portage; trips to D'Arcy are available through advance booking.[2] The Rocky Mountaineer does pass through the area but does not stop until Quesnel. According to a report in the BBC, the Kaoham Shuttle is "Canada's greatest hidden rail trip";[4] a return ticket between Lillooet and Seton Portage costs only $10 Canadian dollars for the two-hour trip.
Overview | |
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Locale | British Columbia |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
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Rolling stock
Services are provided by a pair of railbus vehicles, rebuilt from Fairmont A8 motorcars by Jim Busby Services in California[5]. Some of the modification work was subcontracted to West Coach International in California, with additional modifications by BC Rail upon arrival in Lillooet. Their inaugural run was on Thursday October 31, 2002; regular operation started the next day. The vehicles were initially numbered TU-108 and TU-109 by BC Rail, later renumbered to 10800 and 10900 by CN.
References
- "Lillooet - Kaoham Shuttle". Lillooetbc.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-01. Retrieved 2012-05-28.
- "Kaoham Shuttle" page, Seton Lake Indian Band website (Tsalalh.net) Archived 2014-07-28 at the Wayback Machine
- "Kaoham Shuttle Schedule". Retrieved 2012-05-28.
- John Lee, July 25, 2014, BBC News, Canada’s greatest hidden rail trip, Accessed July 26, 2014
- Biln, J. Singh; Roberts, Jay. "BC Rail's New Rail Shuttle Vehicles" (PDF). The Cariboo. PGE/BCR Special Interest Group Society (Issue 41, Fall 2002): 18–21.