due to unprofitability and deferred maintenance issues. Restrictions from Canadian Pacific on the lease/sale agreement, and major reconstruction of Highway 1 from Victoria to Nanaimo and the new freeway from Nanaimo to Campbell River, led to reduced driving times for the full length of the E&N. This development also affected the privately owned rail line, which did not have the benefit of the provincial subsidies accorded to its competing highways. Freight traffic dropped to about 2,000 carloads a year after the loss of their largest freight customer, a Catalyst Paper pulp mill in Port Alberni. RailAmerica ceased to operate the E&N on 30 June 2006, with the Washington Group's Southern Railway of British Columbia taking over operations the following day. Pacific Wilderness Railway (PAW) tourist train In the summers of 2000 and 2001, Ross Rowland managed on Vancouver Island the Pacific Wilderness Railway, which operated on the tracks of the E&N Railway from Victoria to the top of the nearby Malahat summit. The train consisted of coach cars and a first-class parlour car, which were pulled through Esquimalt, View Royal and Langford by one or two GP20s. The train would proceed to Malahat siding, where the locomotive(s) would quickly change ends, then pull the train back to Victoria. Despite PAW's ad campaign promising grand views and stunning scenery, riders were often disappointed to discover that the views of Saanich Inlet were largely obscured by thick old growth forest along most of the route's right of way. Rowland attempted to remedy this situation by chopping down large portions of old growth trees along the Malahat portion of the right of way, but this only succeeded in incurring the wrath of area residents, without having much effect on the overall view. Questions were also raised about the Malahat being chosen as the northern terminus, due to its isolation. Apart from a shelter and platform that Rowland built in the wilderness with untreated lumber, the terminus lacked even basic service such as refreshments or washrooms. VIA Rail In 1978, VIA Rail assumed operational responsibility for the E&N Railway passenger service. Post ICF ownership, the rail operator agreement had the private company Southern Railway operate the daily inter-city passenger service from Victoria to Courtenay on behalf of VIA Rail. Train tickets had to be purchased three days in advance to avoid an increase in the cost of the fare. In 2011, due to the