(The following story by Ashley Ford of The Province appeared at Canada.com on December 2.)
VANCOUVER — Great Canadian Railtour Company yesterday showcased a prototype of the passenger locomotive/rail car it would use on its Vancouver-Whistler-Prince George run if it becomes the approved carrier.
The diesel-multiple unit (DMU), is manufactured by Colorado Railcar and is the only rail car of its type in North America.
James Terry, GCRC’s executive vice-president and chief operating officer, says the self-propelled car comes complete with dome windows and excellent performance.
While being a passenger car in its own right with a capacity of approximately 60 seats, it also has the added ability to act as a locomotive and pull an additional two cars, Terry said.
Each unit would cost about $3.5 million. GCRC has had a long-term relationship with the Colorado company which has built 12 domed cars — worth over $40 million — for the tour operator’s Rocky Mountaineer.
“The design of this vehicle is ideal for the route between Whistler and Prince George, [a route] considered one of the most challenging in North America,” Terry says.
The power of the DMU and its ability to accelerate out of the turns will enable the route to be covered in three or four hours, less time than a traditional locomotive.
It would cut the travel time between Whistler and Prince George from 13.5 hours to 9.5 hours, Terry said.
B.C. Rail-CN has issued a request for proposals to operate third-party tourist trains on B.C. Rail and CN lines in B.C. GCRC announced last week it was formally stepping into the race to operate the service.
Whistler Rail Tours of Vancouver is also proposing a Vancouver-Whistler service in partnership with VIA Rail. Whistler Railtours would provide the rolling stock, also the Colorado-built DMU.