Transportation in Saskatchewan - Rail

Rail

See also: Category:Saskatchewan railways, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, and Via Rail Further information: Category:Railway stations in Saskatchewan

The first Canadian transcontinental railway was constructed by the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1881 and 1885. The first proposal was northerly through the Saskatchewan provisional district of the North-West Territories to support the fur trade. The final established route was through the Assiniboia provisional district of the North-West Territories. Towns such as Moosomin, Qu'Appelle, Regina, Moose Jaw and Swift Current sprang up along the railway and became trade centres. The new economy saw grain and agricultural farming as a viable alternative, and Clifford Sifton implemented a massive immigration policy in support of settling the West. The rail lines followed the established trails generally as the most practical method of travelling through the prairies. After the great east-west transcontinental railway was built, north-south connector branch lines were established. In 1885, the Regina and Long Lake railroad connected Regina and Craven. The railway was eventually expanded north to Prince Albert. The Regina and Long Lake railroad or The Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railway crossed the South Saskatchewan River at Saskatoon, Hub city in 1890. In 1907 the communities of Melville, The Rail Centre, and Biggar, Saskatchewan became divisional points for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Moose Jaw, dubbed Little Chicago, was the northern terminus on the Soo Line, which ran to Chicago, and provided a route during the prohibition years for alcohol freighting between Canada and the United States. The 1920s saw the largest rise in rail line track as the CPR and CNR fell into competition to provide rail service within ten kilometres. In the 1960s there were applications for abandonment of branch lines.

Today the only two passenger rail services in the province are The Canadian and the Winnipeg – Churchill train both operated by Via Rail. The Canadian is a transcontinental service linking Toronto with Vancouver. Within Saskatchewan The Canadian calls at Melville, Watrous, Saskatoon, Biggar and Unity stations. The Winnipeg - Churchill train calls at Togo, Kamsack, Veregin, Mikado, Canora, Sturgis, Endeavour, Reserve, and Hudson Bay.

There are nearly 1,734 km of Short-line freight railways in the province, these railways are regulated by the Provincial government, and include:

  • Southern Rails Cooperative (72 km)
  • Carlton Trail Railway (481 km)
  • Red Coat Road and Rail (115 km)
  • Great Western Railway (496 km)
  • Thunder Rail (31 km)
  • Wheatland Rail (74 km)
  • Fife Lake Railway (94 km)
  • Torch River Rail (45 km)
  • Great Sandhills Railway (187 km)
  • Last Mountain Railway (136 km)

Read more about this topic:  Transportation In Saskatchewan

Famous quotes containing the word rail:

    “In my conscience I believe the baggage loves me, for she never speaks well of me herself, nor suffers any body else to rail at me.”
    —William Congreve (1670–1729)

    “For this is the mark of a wise and upright man, not to rail against the gods in misfortune.”
    —Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)

    “If goodness were only a theory, it were a pity it should be lost to the world. There are a number of things, the idea of which is a clear gain to the mind. Let people, for instance, rail at friendship, genius, freedom, as long as they will—the very names of these despised qualities are better than anything else that could be substituted for them, and embalm even the most envenomed satire against them.”
    —William Hazlitt (1778–1830)