Nanaimo, railway hope to develop excursion for 2015Nanaimo, railway hope to develop excursion for 2015

The concept results from the interest cruise lines have expressed in a rail excursion, the port authority said.

The study would analyze and review the railway's current infrastructure and operations, and evaluate the marketing requirements to determine the financial viability of creating this tourism opportunity.

The port hopes the development of a high quality attraction will assist in increasing the cruise ship calls to Nanaimo, and open up new markets for the top tier cruise lines.

The study will start next month and a complete report is expected to be finalized later this fall. It is the port authority and SRY’s intent to have the excursion in full operation to coincide with Nanaimo's 2015 cruise season.