WASHINGTON – A Canadian pension fund is teaming with shortline holding company Jaguar Transportation to acquire five shortline railroads totalling more than 450 miles, according to a regulatory filing. The railroads involved in the transaction, which is expected to take effect on Nov. 1, include: ● The 245-mile Cimarron Valley Railroad, which operates in Kansas, […]
Zone & Region: Canada
VIA Rail indefinitely postpones restart of Ocean, Canadian
MONTREAL – VIA Rail Canada has postponed resumption of its triweekly Halifax-Montreal Ocean and twice-weekly Toronto-Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadian indefinitely, according to a news release issued last Friday and Trains News Wire reservation center inquiries. This is contrary to the passenger carrier’s addition of trains to its Quebec City-Windsor, Ontario, corridor. Sleeping car service will […]
Carload traffic key to Canadian Pacific’s purchase of Central Maine & Quebec
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The opportunity to gain carload traffic was the main reason Canadian Pacific acquired 481-mile regional railway Central Maine & Quebec, which was once a part of the railway’s historic shortcut from Montreal to the Atlantic at Saint John, New Brunswick. The CMQ — which links the Montreal area with Irving-owned short lines […]
Digest: Canadian government announces funding for $25 million in rail safety projects
Friday morning Canadian rail news in brief: Canadian government announces funding for rail safety projects Canada’s federal government on Thursday announced funding of more than $25 million for the Rail Safety Improvement Program, covering 161 projects focusing on infrastructure, technology, and research, and four rail safety education and awareness initiatives. The list of projects is […]
Digest: Canadian government sets rules for locomotive video, voice recorders
More Friday morning rail news: Canadian government sets rules for in-cab voice, video recorders Most railroads in Canada have two years to install “black box” video and voice recorders on their locomotives according to regulations published by the Canadian government, a requirement that has a rail union voicing concerns about worker privacy. The CBC reports […]
Digest: Guelph Junction set for change of operators
Friday afternoon rail news: Ontario Southland concludes Guelph Junction operations; Goderich-Exeter to take over Ontario Southland’s 22 years as operator of Canada’s Guelph Junction Railway will conclude today, ending an era that included frequent use of Alco and MLW power. Beginning Monday, the Goderich-Exeter Railway, a Genesee & Wyoming operation based in Stratford, Ont., will […]
Digest: Waterloo Central completes heritage paint project for switchers
Wednesday afternoon rail news: Waterloo Central switchers now in heritage scheme The Waterloo Central Railway, the heritage railroad operated by the Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society, has completed its project repainting three switch engines into Canadian Pacific’s classic gray-and-maroon scheme. Now wearing the scheme are Montreal Locomotive Works S13 Nos. 1001 and 1002, both built […]
Canadian National sees traffic rebound, particularly in Western Canada
MONTREAL — Canadian National is recalling furloughed train crews and pulling locomotives and freight cars out of storage as traffic rebounds. “We are pivoting to recovery,” Chief Financial Officer Ghislain Houle told a webcast on Wednesday, noting strong growth trends in domestic intermodal, Canadian grain, and Canadian coal traffic. Overall, CN’s July traffic was 5% […]
Foggy day at Sherbrooke
In October 1953, a blanket of fog lies over Sherbrooke, Quebec, as Quebec Central G2 4-6-2 2556 awaits departure time of train 1 for Quebec City as a G3 Pacific brings train 39 into the station. Photo by Philip R. Hastings […]
Canadian Pacific to single-track, add CTC to main line to Montreal
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific is single-tracking and adding centralized traffic control to its main line between Smiths Falls, Ontario, and the Montreal area. The two-year project includes removing 60 miles of double track on the 104.9-mile Winchester Subdivision. “CP is continuously looking for opportunities to improve its track infrastructure,” spokesman Andy Cummings says. “During […]
Streamline steam
The Canadian National’s 4-8-4 U-4s were striking machines from any angle. Colors were black with green stripes, cab, and tender, accented by gold trim and white tires. This scene is at Spadina roundhouse in Toronto, on March 10, 1957. Jim Shaughnessy photo […]
Remembering Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo freight trains
All this month — July 2020 — Classic Trains editors are celebrating the heritage, history, and images of the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway. Please enjoy this photo gallery of images from the David P. Morgan Library archives at Kalmbach Media that include TH&B diesel- and steam-powered freight trains through time. […]
