Port Alberni's "Waterfront Express" tourist train will start summer operations on Saturday, June 7 with four runs.
Alberni Pacific Railway operations manager Richard Spencer was busy training with senior engineer Ted Mollet on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Crews have had the No. 11 MBL diesel locomotive on the tracks, and a special run with the passenger cars happened last month when a group of exchange students visited from Montreal.
The first weekend for the No. 11 on the Waterfront Express will see runs on Saturday at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. The train will run Saturdays and Sundays in June and September, and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during July and August.
There will also be some special "steam weekends" this summer. "We're extremely excited to offer train rides with the No. 11 diesel and the No. 7 Baldwin steam engine," Spencer said. "We have four weekends throughout the summer of the steam train."
The first steam weekend will happen in time for Canada Day, with runs June 29 through July 1. The other weekends will include July 19-20, Aug. 2-4 and Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.
Volunteers with the APR were busy maintaining the route the trains will use this year. They continue to clear new areas to expand the runs toward Stamp Avenue and along Harbour Road, Spencer noted.
Leading up to opening weekend, the APR saw seven new crew members earn their Canadian Railway Operating Rules (CROR) qualifications, which is a first step to volunteering with train operations in a safety critical position, Spencer said.
The APR is also hiring two summer students under the Canada Summer Jobs grant to assist with train rides this summer. The Industrial Heritage Society will also be hiring a pair of students to assist with museum tours at the Industrial Heritage Centre on Ninth Avenue in Port Alberni. The jobs are a positive sign for both heritage organizations, said Spencer.
"We were successfully able to get the two summer students. For our operations it's a huge help. We can then have extra hands on board with the students and interaction with the public."
He hopes the students will be able to share stories aboard the train as part of the audio tour. Students will also help with ticket sales and cleaning up the trains before and after their runs.
Tickets for the waterfront express or steam express runs can be purchased online at albernipacificrailway.ca.
