The Kettle Valley Railway Today

Almost one hundred years after the Kettle Valley Railway began, its rebirth is underway. The tracks are gone except in the Penticton to Brookmere section. But the roadbed still loops across southern British Columbia. KVR buffs want to save the line as a 500 kilometre hiking and biking trail. As well as honouring the men who constructed the railroad and kept it running, the KVR trail is now a popular tourist attraction. Parts of the trestles and bridges are being repaired for recreational use. However, not all of the land is currently available for exploring. Some areas are in the hands of private landowners. During the summer, a steam train runs on a 10-kilometre section of the original line in the Summerland area. As one KVR buff says, the Trout Creek Bridge near Summerland is spectacular. “Great view if you don’t look down between the ties.” The adventure of the Kettle Valley Railway lives on!

Perhaps someday when you’re hiking or biking a part of the line, you’ll feel a bit of the old KVR magic. You’ll be travelling over trestles and through tunnels nearly a century old. You’ll experience the same scenic views that thrilled past generations. The aspen leaves will tremble in the wind as you pass along the abandoned roadbed. What’s that you can hear in the distance? Could it be a train whistle?