Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway
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| Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway | |
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| Reporting marks | CBNS |
| Locale | Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Dates of operation | 1993–present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Stellarton, Nova Scotia |
The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway (AAR reporting marks CBNS) is a 392 km (245 mile) railway operating in Nova Scotia between Sydney and Truro with spurs at Sydney, Port Hawkesbury/Point Tupper, Trenton and Stellarton.
The mainline (and related spurs) were formerly owned by Canadian National Railway and were sold to shortline holding company RailTex in October, 1993, making CBNS one of Canada's first shortlines to be acquired from a class I railway. On 4 February 2000, RailTex, including CBNS, was purchased by RailAmerica for US$325,000,000.
The CBNS route crosses varied and beautiful scenery ranging from mixed farmland, forests and river valleys formed by the Appalachian Mountains, to the Strait of Canso (it crosses on the Canso Causeway) and various inlets of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On Cape Breton Island, the line runs beside the spectacular Bras d'Or Lake.
The line interchanges with the Sydney Coal Railway (SCR), formerly the Devco Railway, at Sydney, and with CN at Truro. Yards are maintained at Sydney, North Sydney, Point Tupper, Havre Boucher, Stellarton, and Truro.
Customers include two pulp and paper mills, a tire manufacturing plant, two coal-fired thermal electricity generating stations, a natural gas liquefication plant, a large railway car factory, and several smaller shippers including local forestry contractors. Traffic has fallen dramatically at the eastern end of the railway following the closure of a steel mill and several coal mines near Sydney. CBNS is currently applying to abandon this section of its line.
VIA Rail's Halifax-Sydney weekly seasonal tourist passenger train, the Bras d'Or, operated along the entire length of the CBNS, in addition to some CN trackage between Halifax and Truro, from 2000 to 2004. Due to the possible abandonment of the eastern part of the CBNS network, VIA Rail suspended the service in early 2005. In September 2005 the government of Nova Scotia announced that it would provide CBNS a $10 million subsidy to keep the rail line from Port Hawkesbury to Sydney open for the next 5 years.
[edit] External links
- Track diagram, Havre Boucher yard
- Main line track profile 25-36, West Bay Road to River Denys (includes the ruling grade westbound)
[edit] See also
- Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway - RailAmerica website
- CN description of partner shortline - CBNS
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