History
In 1996, CN abandoned its Newmarket Subdivision from Bradford north to Barrie as well as its entire Meaford Subdivision which runs from Barrie to Collingwood. CN had plans to rip up its tracks, however the City of Barrie and the Town of Collingwood stepped in to purchase the lines to maintain their rail infrastructures. Barrie purchased the remainder of the Newmarket Sub, the Meaford Sub from Barrie to Utopia in Essa Township and the remainder of the abandoned Beeton Subdivision which runs south from Barrie to Innisfil and connects with the other two subs at the old Allandale Yard in Barrie. Collingwood purchased the rest of the Meaford Sub from Utopia on.
In 1998, the BCRY was started to service various customers in Innisfil, Barrie, Colwell, Angus, Stayner and Collingwood along the Beeton and Meaford Subs. The line crosses the Canadian Pacific (CP) at Utopia, and a small interchange and maintenance yard was built there. This is where Maintenance Of Way (MOW) equipment and the locomotive are stored when not in use. The Newmarket Sub is not used by the BCRY; it was purchased to preserve future GO Transit expansion north from Bradford, which re-opened in late 2007.
In 2006, the first rail spur in Ontario since 1990 was constructed to service a new customer, a lumber company in Barrie.
Read more about this topic: Barrie Collingwood Railway
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“There is no history of how bad became better.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)