The federal government is taking the first step towards bringing back passenger rail to Vancouver Island, pledging $500,000 for feasibility and technical studies on a project that would link Victoria West and Langford.

Secretary of State for Seniors Stephanie McLean, who made the funding announcement in Esquimalt on Wednesday, said there’s a “huge appetite and desire” for residents for transportation improvements that would help ease congestion in southern Vancouver Island, which has been without passenger rail since 2011.

“This is very objectively needed, and I think it’s a it’s a pain point for islanders to cross the tracks at intersections, and know that there’s no train activity, but there could be,” she said in an interview.

The non-profit Island Corridor Foundation, the recipient of the funding, owns a nearly 300-kilometre rail corridor in Vancouver Island. The Southern Railway of British Columbia operates freight service on the existing line.

There have been a variety of studies and funding pledges since the discontinuation of passenger service some 15 years ago, but McLean said this is the first time the federal government has a seat at the table since the 1800s, a development she called “very significant.”

“As a result, there should be the confidence, in the fact that hey, ‘we’re at the table.’ This is is a signal that there’s a lot of weight behind this,” said McLean, who represents a southern Vancouver Island riding.

There’s also another major difference from previous studies — this one is exploring the possibility of light-rail service. Previous studies focused on heavy rail operations similar to Via Rail, which previously operated a route that ran from Courtenay to Victoria.

McLean also touted that the effort would be “Indigenous-led,” and the Island Corridor Foundation is made up of local governments and First Nations with territory along the route.

Funding for the studies will flow from the local impact stream of the government’s Building Communities Strong Fund, which is aimed at bolstering infrastructure to support economic growth and new jobs. 

“This is a hinge moment in Canada’s history,” McLean said.

“This is the time to get things, big things built at speeds we’ve never seen before. If there ever was an opportunity to get this train back on track, it is now.”