Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Company (03 June 1891 - 13 April 1895)
Incorporated 1890 (BC). Amalgamated in 1891
with the
Westminster Street Railway Company (also inc. 1890)
under the W&VTCo name. Limited service on the incomplete line began in
June. Through service to Vancouver began 08 October 1891 (Ewert 1986).
Merged with the
Vancouver Electric Railway and Light Company
and the
Victoria Electric Railway and Lighting Company
to form the CRy&LCo 1895.
Consolidated Railway and Light Company (13 April 1895 - 17 April 1896)
Name changed to CRyCo 1896.
Consolidated Railway Company (17 April 1896 - 15 April 1897)
Sold at bankruptcy to the BCER 1897.
British Columbia Electric Railway Company (15 April 1897 - 27 February 1958>)
Incorporated 03 April 1897 (Imp). The
Vancouver & Lulu Island Railway Company (Vancouver - Steveston via Marpole and Marpole - New Westminister),
incorporated 1891 (BC) and
acquired 31 August 1901 by the
Canadian Pacific Railway Company (steam operation began 30 June 1902), was
leased and electrified by the BCE 1905. Electric service on the
V&LIRy began 04 July 1905.
The charter of the dormant
Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Southern Railway Company
(inc. 1906 Dom.) was acquired in 1910 for the purpose of building
the BCE 's Fraser valley line. Freight service was dieselized during the
1950's and '60's, the last electric freight switching ended October 1970. (Ewert
1986, RFC). See also the company's Vancouver Island interurban line.
| Burnaby Lake line (Vancouver - New Westminster) | 22 October 1953> | Central Park line (Vancouver - New Westminster) | 14 July 1954> | Vancouver - Marpole | 17 June 1952> | Marpole - New Westminster | 17 November 1956> | Marpole - Steveston | 27 February 1958> | New Westminster - Chilliwack | 30 September 1950> | Data source: | RFC |
Blue Funnel Motor Line (circa late 1915 - 1923)
The "jitney craze" affected the Vancouver - New Westminster interurban route
much like the experience of several Canadian cities.
By March 1915 there were about 40 jitneys operating in competition with the BCER
between Vancouver and New Westminster.
Various operators were noted in
Canadian Railway & Marine World:
On 20 December 1920 the BCER acquired the Stave Falls hydroelectric generating station
from the
Western Power Company. Included in the purchase was a railway between the
dam at Stave Falls and the CPR at Ruskin, on the Fraser River. The line was
electrified in 1922 and abandoned 04 December 1944. While traffic on the line consisted primarily of
freight and company employees and guests, common carrier passenger service was provided.
|
West Coast Express (01 November 1995 - present) BC Transit commuter rail service operating
between Vancouver and Mission over the tracks
of the
Canadian Pacific Railway Company.
Responsibility for the service transferred from
BC Transit to
TransLink (Vancouver urban system) 01 April 1999.
An additional evening run operated by bus was introduced 07 September 1999.
Buses operated by contractor
Cantrail Coach Lines Ltd. (2008).
(West Coast Express photo)
|
| Vehicle fleet | 5 locomotives, 31 coaches |
Data source: | CTHF/SSG 2000 |
The author is always interested in comments, corrections and further information. Please email to: dawwpg@shaw.ca This page last modified: Thursday, 23-Jun-2011 20:10:21 CDT