There isn’t much remaining of the old Vancouver, Victoria and Eastern (VV&E) Railway. It used to begin in Midway, BC before meandering into the States for a time to Oroville, Washington. From here it reentered Canada near Osoyoos BC and travelled up through Keremeos to Princeton in order to connect with the KVR line.
Some notable remnants of the route exist like the ‘red bridge’ at Keremeos. Most of it lies on private property as the right of way was not publicly secured after dismantling. A majority of the Canadian route lies under HWY 3.
There is one accessible feature hiding in the forest that is worth a short adventure. The journey begins at Midway. The dirt road lies over the old route heading west. At a certain point it diverts into the forest where the hiker can pick up the trail and find an old tunnel. This is in fact Tunnel # 2 of the old rail line.
Access:
Look for Fritz Rd across the bridge south of Midway. Park here or drive as long as desired westward. A bicycle adventure is suggested as the best method from here. Follow Fritz road past a cannabis farm and the road eventually degrades a bit before veering left up a hill. Do not go up the hill but instead turn right and through a small gate. This is the point where the old VV+E route leaves the road. The tunnel is not far away now.
It is possible to explore the tunnel and pass through to the other side. The VV+E route can be followed for several hundred more metres before there is a missing trestle over the river inhibiting further passage.
