Weaving along a narrow ledge between razor-sharp mountains and a gigantic, glittering lake, the tiny, two-car Kaoham Shuttle is arguably Canada’s greatest hidden rail journey. And at just 10 Canadian dollars for a two-hour return trip, it’s also a bargain – especially if you’re a fan of both spectacular scenery and wildlife.
Founded in 1912, the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (later renamed BC Rail) used to trundle passengers from North Vancouver to the northern city of Prince George, linking dozens of backcountry communities en route. But by 2002, its money-losing passenger services had all been canned – except for a daily diesel “rail bus” between the tiny western Canada towns of Lillooet and Seton Portage. When the transcontinental freight operator Canadian National Railway acquired BC Rail’s operations in 2004, this lone passenger service somehow endured.
Today, the Kaoham Shuttle – a partnership between Canadian National and the Seton Lake First Nation community – remains a vital service in an area where backcountry roads are sometimes impassable, while also luring travelling train spotters who can’t quite believe their luck.
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