History
The original Hudson Bay Railway line was built in stages north from The Pas after a railway bridge was constructed over the Saskatchewan River in 1910-1911 by the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR). It was meant to go to a major new shipping harbour on Hudson Bay. Although initial surveys were done to both ports of Churchill and Port Nelson, it was decided to proceed to Port Nelson in 1912. But when the harbour project in Port Nelson was abandoned, construction on the railway came to an end.
Following the CNoR bankruptcy in 1918 and creation of Canadian National Railways (CNR), the federal government undertook to complete the Hudson Bay Railway; this time to Churchill. Political interference, financing difficulties, and engineering challenges by the large amount of muskeg and frequent rock outcrops on the Canadian Shield led to inevitable delays. The line to tidewater was completed March 29, 1929.
CNR subsequently built resource railways from The Pas to Flin Flon, opening in 1928, followed by an extension on this line from Cranberry Portage, Manitoba, to Lynn Lake, opening November 9, 1953.
On July 27, 2005, heavy rains washed out part of the railroad between The Pas and Pukatawagan; all service over the line, including Via Rail trains 290 and 291, was suspended while repairs took place. Service was restored on August 2, 2005, two days ahead of initial expectations.
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