Tshiuetin Rail Transportation
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| Tshiuetin Rail Transportation | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Labrador, Quebec |
| Dates of operation | 2005–present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Schefferville, Quebec |
Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc. is a Canadian short line railway that stretches 134 miles (217 kilometres) through the wilderness of western Labrador and northeastern Quebec. It connects Emeril Junction, Labrador with the community of Schefferville, Quebec on the interprovincial boundary. The company is owned by the Innu Nation of Matimekush-Lac John, the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach, and the Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-Utenam.
[edit] History
The railway formally began operations on December 1, 2005 with the conclusion of an agreement between the three owners of Tshiuetin Rail Transportation and the owner of the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway, the Iron Ore Company of Canada. This agreement, finalized in the fall of 2005, saw QNSL sell its Menihek Subdivision, for the nominal sum of $1.00 (CAD).
Tshiuetin Rail Transportation took possession of the Menihek Subdivision "as is, where is". The company provides all passenger rail and limited freight service. The company will also provide passenger rail service on the remaining QNSL-owned line running from the port of Sept-Îles, QC to Emeril Jct, NL (and on to Schefferville, QC) and from Emeril Jct., NL to Labrador City, NL.
The Menihek Subdivision was originally part of the QNSL main line, constructed between 1951 and 1954. After mining activity in Schefferville ended during the 1980s, QNSL shifted its priority to the Sept-Îles, QC to Labrador City, NL line, and the Emeril Jct, NL to Schefferville, QC line saw limited freight and subsidized passenger service for the remaining First Nations communities in the region.
The agreement between IOC and the three First Nations who own Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc. has resulted in the first aboriginal ownership of a railway line in Canada.
This railway (along with the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway line, Arnaud Railway, and Wabush Lake Railway) form an isolated railroad network, as it does not interchange with any other rail lines on the North American network at this time.
[edit] External links
- Map of the Tshiuetin Rail Transportation line
- Map of the QNS&L and Tshiuetin Rail Transportation lines
- Fact Sheet detailling the transaction
- Rail Lines of Northern Quebec
- Rail Lines of Labrador
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