By Ian Holmes

NDP Leader John Horgan pushes passenger rail during mid-island visit

Mar 9, 2017 | 4:31 PM

PARKSVILLE —BC NDP Leader John Horgan says re-starting a portion of the E&N passenger rail service is a priority for his party.

He made the statement in Parksville Thursday afternoon — just a few hours after transportation minister Todd Stone announced the government would study a 15 km section of that line between Victoria and Langford for transit.

“Our priority is to get people moving in the high growth areas in the lower part of Vancouver Island, south of the Malahat,” Horgan said. “But we also want to address the challenges in the Cowichan Valley all the way up to the Comox Valley.”

Horgan said restoring passenger rail service on the island must focus in the Victoria area first, then expand from there. He said the service has great economic and tourism opportunities between Victoria and the Comox Valley.

Passenger rail service was shut down on Vancouver Island in 2011 due to poor rail conditions and Horgan doesn’t believe the Liberals have done enough to get it going again.

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“The E&N corridor is now used primarily for scotch broom and anyone on Vancouver Island understands that.”

Horgan attended a meet and greet with party supporters at a Parksville coffee shop.

He will hold a town hall style meeting at the Coast Bastion Hotel Thursday night.

The provincial election is on May 9.

ian.holmes@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @reporterholmes