Battle River Railway

Last updated
Battle River Railway
Overview
Dates of operation2010
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length60 miles (97 km)

The Battle River Railway is a co-operative shortline freight railway created in 2010 in central Alberta. The track is 236 foot-continually welded track. It serves the communities of Alliance, Galahad, Forestburg, Heisler, Rosalind, Kelsey, providing them with a rail connection to the Canadian National line in Camrose which connects to port facilities in Vancouver and Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

Formerly, the Battle River Producer Car Group, a collective of 180 farmers, operated as a loader of grain cars only, but in May 2009, it became the Battle River Railway New Generation Co-operative, and purchased the branch line from CN in 2010. [1]

From 2014 onward, heritage tours were introduced on the line using a Pullman car, offering themed excursions several times a year. [2] [3] [4] The general manager is Matthew Enright. The founding members of the friends of the Battle River Railway are Joanne McMahon and Ken Eshpeter.

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References

  1. Shewan, A.J. (September 2023). "Barley a Dull Moment in Forestburg: The story of grain, a small town, and its railroad". Trains . Vol. 83, no. 9. pp. 28–33. ISSN   0041-0934.
  2. "History". www.battlerivertrain.com. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  3. "Honey, I bought a railway | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  4. "Battle River Railway is the little railway that could". Alberta Farmer Express. 2015-03-16. Retrieved 2021-03-02.