User:Jumpytoo/sandbox

Kaoham Shuttle

Lillooet railway station
Overview
Locale	British Columbia
Dates of operation	2002–
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map to Prince George Lillooet to North Vancouver Shalalth Seton Portage D'Arcy limited service

The Kaoham Shuttle 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. The train runs daily between Lillooet and Seton Portage. 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 passenger train that operates between Lillooet and Seton Portage; trips to D'Arcy are available through advance booking. 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" a return ticket between Lillooet and Seton Portage costing only $10 Canadian dollars for the two-hour trip.

History

BC Rail initially operated service between the communities via its Cariboo Prospector service, which operated between North Vancouver and Prince George. After the service was discontinued on October 31, 2002, the Kaoham Shuttle was created to preserve essental transportation for the rural communities. CN Rail took over operations when it bought rights to BC Rail assets in 2004.

Rolling stock

Services are provided by a pair of railbus vehicles, rebuilt from Fairmont A8 motorcars by Jim Busby Services in California. 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.

Reputation

The railway service is known for being a hidden gem, with the BBC calling the Kaoham Shuttle is "Canada's greatest hidden rail trip".

References

• "Guaranteed Rugged Rail Journey On The Kaoham Shuttle". Backcountry Canada Travel. 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
• McFarlane, Matthew. "Rail makes getting to B.C.'s remote Seton Portage an epic adventure". CBC News.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
• Planet, Lonely; Lee, John; Miller, Korina; Berkmoes, Ryan Ver (2017-04-01). Lonely Planet British Columbia & the Canadian Rockies. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-78701-032-1.
• Brown, Ron (2016-07-09). Rails Over the Mountains: Exploring the Railway Heritage of Canada's Western Mountains. Dundurn. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-4597-3358-9.
• Brown, Ron (2016-07-23). Dundurn Railroad 6-Book Bundle: Rails Over the Mountains / Rails to the Atlantic / Rails Across Ontario / and 3 more. Dundurn. ISBN 978-1-4597-3681-8.
• Walter, Helga; Walter, Arnold (2019-12-02). Nationalparkroute Kanada: Die legendäre Route durch Alberta und BC (in German). Conbook Verlag. p. 341. ISBN 978-3-95889-060-2.
• Johnston, Bob. "British Columbia's backcountry locals". Trains. Vol. 68, no. 5. p. 50-55.
• Biln, J. Singh; Roberts, Jay (Fall 2002). "BC Rail's New Rail Shuttle Vehicles" (PDF). The Cariboo. No. 41. PGE/BCR Special Interest Group Society. pp. 18–21.