History
Built between 1951 and 1954, the QNSL originally connected the port of Sept-Îles, Quebec on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River with the northern terminus at IOC's mining community of Schefferville, Quebec, a distance of 359 miles (578 km). In 1958, the Wabush ore body near Labrador City was opened by both IOC and the Wabush Mining Company. QNSL built a 36-mile (58 km) line to serve these mines, running west from the Sept-Îles, Quebec-Schefferville, Quebec, main line at Emeril Junction, Labrador, to Carole Lake, Labrador, near Wabush, Labrador. Service on this branch began in 1960.
At the same time, Wabush Mining Company built the relatively short Wabush Lake Railway from its mines at Labrador City to the QNSL connection at Wabush. QNSL hauls its own traffic from Carol Lake to IOC port facilities at Sept-Îles, Quebec. QNSL also hauls Wabush Lake Railway traffic from the interchange at Wabush to Arnaud Jct., Quebec, near Sept-Îles, where it interchanges to the Arnaud Railway, which then completes the journey around Sept-Îles Harbour to Wabush Mining Co. port facilities at Point Noire, Quebec.
In the 1980s, economic conditions favoured the closing of the Schefferville mining operations in favour of iron ore deposits located further to the south near Wabush and most residents relocated to Labrador City. QNSL maintained subsidized passenger and freight service for local First Nations communities along this portion of its system, known as the Menihek Subdivision, until December 1, 2005, when it sold the Emeril Junction, Labrador-Schefferville, Quebec, rail line to Tshiuetin Rail Transportation for the sum of 1$ CAD. QNSL still provides freight services however, transporting employee automobiles, various bulk mine materials, large equipment, and everyday supplies for Labrador City and the various maintenance of way camps.
Currently, this railway, along with the Tshiuetin Rail Transportation line, Arnaud Railway, Wabush Lake Railway, and Bloom Lake Railway, forms an isolated railroad network, as it does not interchange with any other rail lines on the North American network.
Read more about this topic: Quebec North Shore And Labrador Railway
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