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67-545: The line was originally the Northern Railway of Canada , the first railway to open for commercial business in what was then Upper Canada . It reached Allandale in 1853 and then began construction northwest towards Collingwood and beyond to Meaford . After merging with their competitor, the Hamilton and Northwestern Railway , they built a joint line running northeast out of Barrie toward Orillia, and then on to meet

134-469: A Canadian corporation. Following the successful IPO, CN has recorded impressive gains in its stock price, largely through an aggressive network rationalization and purchase of newer more fuel-efficient locomotives. Numerous branch lines were shed in the late 1990s across Canada, resulting in dozens of independent short line railway companies being established to operate former CN track that had been considered marginal. This network rationalization resulted in

201-690: A blue-plate tourist service, the Rocky Mountaineer , with fares well over double what the BCR coach fares had been. CN also announced in October 2003 an agreement to purchase Great Lakes Transportation (GLT), a holding company owned by Blackstone Group for US$ 380 million. GLT was the owner of Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad , Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway (DM&I), and the Pittsburgh & Conneaut Dock Company. The key instigator for

268-675: A branch line to Collingwood, splitting off the mainline some distance west of Newmarket , and added optional plans for an extension north from Barrie to Midland . Bonuses from Simcoe County totalling $ 300,000 were given to the H&;NW, along with about $ 150,000 from towns along the route, some indication of the area's upset with the Northern. The line reached Barrie in 1877 and Collingwood in mid-1879. The H&NW never completed their northern expansion to Midland. The Northern went ahead with one portion of their own expansion plans, dropping plans for

335-467: A core east–west freight railway stretching from Halifax to Chicago and Toronto to Vancouver and Prince Rupert . The railway also operated trains from Winnipeg to Chicago using trackage rights for part of the route south of Duluth. In addition to the rationalization in Canada, the company also expanded in a strategic north–south direction in the central United States . In 1998, in an era of mergers in

402-627: A great deal of public and political attention. Canada was one of many nations to engage in railway nationalization in order to safeguard critical transportation infrastructure during the First World War . In the early 20th century, many governments were taking a more interventionist role in the economy, foreshadowing the influence of economists like John Maynard Keynes . This political trend, combined with broader geo-political events, made nationalization an appealing choice for Canada. The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and allied involvement in

469-514: A large card reading "Last Train". The crews moved the rails as soon as the train passed them, having already half driven the spikes. The cost of construction, general financial difficulties of the era, and the enormous cost of an expansion to North Bay led the Northern and H&NW to organize a new joint management agreement, forming the Northern and North Western Railway in June 1879. This provided

536-488: A line from Toronto to the upper Great Lakes has been recorded to as early as 1834, but no serious effort was taken until 1848 when Frederick Chase Capreol announced he was going to build a line to the Collingwood area under the name Toronto, Simcoe and Huron Railroad Union Company . He suggested a novel method to raise the funds for construction, using a $ 2 million lottery. The proposition was considered so scandalous it

603-595: A line through their burgeoning agricultural areas. Cumberland refused, stating that traffic would be too low. This left an opening for the formation of the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway (TG&B), which began construction toward Owen Sound in the spring of 1869. Faced with their first real competition, the Northern chartered their own North Grey Railway on 15 February 1871, with plans to extend out of Collingwood to Meaford and authority to continue to Owen Sound. Construction between Collingwood and Meaford took place over

670-613: A north–south NAFTA railway (in reference to the North American Free Trade Agreement ). CN was then feeding Canadian raw material exports into the U.S. heartland and beyond to Mexico through a strategic alliance with Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS). In 1999, CN and BNSF Railway , the second largest rail system in the U.S., announced their intent to merge, forming a new corporate entity North American Railways , headquartered in Montreal to conform to

737-586: A number of groups in Simcoe County , especially those in Barrie who continually pushed for an expansion of the line into the downtown area. This was eventually solved through the late 1869 formation of the Toronto, Simcoe and Muskoka Junction Railway , or Muskoka Branch , which branched off at the Allendale station and ran north-east to Orillia and then on to Lake Muskoka outside Gravenhurst . The line

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804-528: A possible merger of the two companies. This was later rejected by the Government of Canada, whereupon CPR offered to purchase outright all of CN's lines from Ontario to Nova Scotia, while an unidentified U.S. railroad (rumoured to have been Burlington Northern Railroad ) would purchase CN's lines in western Canada. This too was rejected. In 1995, the entire company including its U.S. subsidiaries reverted to using CN exclusively. The CN Commercialization Act

871-774: Is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec , which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States . CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue and the physical size of its rail network, spanning Canada from the Atlantic coast in Nova Scotia to the Pacific coast in British Columbia across approximately 20,000 route miles (32,000 km) of track. In

938-484: Is commemorated by a plaque installed in 1953 at Union Station in Toronto . The Toronto and other locomotives were scrapped after Canadian railways converted from the 5'6" track gauge to the 4'8 1 ⁄ 2 " American standard gauge starting in the 1870s. The railway earned revenues from passenger, freight, postal, and sundry other sources. The total earnings for 1 January to 7 July 1860 were $ 166,108.64, and for 1 January to 6 July 1861 were $ 210,177.46. In 2010,

1005-537: The 42nd Governor General of Canada (1847–1854); she had also lifted a ceremonial silver spade for the sod-turning ceremony of the construction of the railway at Front Street and Simcoe Street on 15 October 1851. Because of the high customs duties and shipping costs for the locomotive, executives of the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad decided that subsequent locomotives would be built in Ontario. The James Good foundry Toronto Locomotive Works , located at

1072-547: The Barrie-Collingwood Railway . CNR continued use of both lines in spite of now having several routes northward, and did not begin closing portions (Collingwood to Meaford) until the 1980s. The line was used by Via Rail 's transcontinental The Canadian , running north from Toronto to Washago at the north end of Lake Couchiching where it switched to the Bala Sub and proceeded to Sudbury . From 1976,

1139-605: The CN Commercialization Act of 1995. The merger announcement by CN's Paul Tellier and BNSF's Robert Krebs was greeted with skepticism by the U.S. government's Surface Transportation Board (STB), and protested by other major North American rail companies, namely CPR and Union Pacific Railroad (UP). Rail customers also denounced the proposed merger, following the confusion and poor service sustained in southeastern Texas in 1998 following UP's purchase of Southern Pacific Railroad two years earlier. In response to

1206-775: The Canadian Pacific Railway transcontinental lines in North Bay . The Northern was purchased by the Grand Trunk Railway in 1888, whose bankruptcy in 1918 led to the line becoming part of the newly formed CNR in 1923. The northeastern branch became part of the Newmarket Subdivision, with the original line becoming the Meaford Subdivision, which CN sold off in 1998 to the municipalities of Barrie and Collingwood to become

1273-591: The Connecticut River valley from Quebec to Long Island Sound ; and the Berlin subdivision to Portland, Maine , known informally as the Grand Trunk Eastern , sold to a short-line operator in 1989. In 1992, a new management team led by ex-federal government bureaucrats, Paul Tellier and Michael Sabia , started preparing CN for privatization by emphasizing increased productivity. This

1340-597: The Northern Railway Company of Canada in August 1858. Cumberland focused on profitability, cutting any train that didn't pay for itself, strongly resisting any expansion plans, and selling off their small fleet of ships operating on the Great Lakes. This resistance to expansion would ultimately backfire; in 1864 the company was approached by businessmen from Grey and Bruce counties about building

1407-644: The ONR operated the Northlander passenger train service along this line between Toronto and North Bay, albeit often in one direction only to avoid turning the trainset; switching onto their own lines in North Bay to continue on to Cochrane . Beginning in 1982, the line also began to be used by GO Transit for service from Toronto to Bradford, with a brief period of service to Barrie lasting from 1990 to 1993. Barrie did not see GO service again until 2007. In 1996,

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1474-482: The Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad in 1850. Capreol was fired as manager two days before the official sod turning, which was carried out on 15 October 1851 by Lady Elgin . The occasion was marked with a parade, to which an estimated 20,000 people attended of a total population of the city of only 31,000. Sandford Fleming took the sod and preserved it for history. A party later that night at St. Lawrence Hall

1541-585: The Russian Revolution seemed to validate the continuing process. The need for a viable rail system was paramount in a time of civil unrest and foreign military action. Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad The B&LE was acquired with the purchase of Great Lakes Transportation and the DM&;IR. British Columbia Railway In 2003, BCOL sold to Canadian National and leased the railroad to CN for 60 years. Central Vermont Railway Central Vermont

1608-566: The Montreal commuter trains are now operated by Montreal's EXO . On November 17, 1995, the Government of Canada privatized CN. Over the next decade, the company expanded significantly into the United States, purchasing Illinois Central Railroad and Wisconsin Central Transportation , among others. The excessive construction of railway lines in Canada led to significant financial difficulties striking many of them, in

1675-497: The Newmarket Sub to operate a local tourism train. The CN Newmarket Sub hasn't seen a passenger train on its tracks since the last remaining passenger service, the Northlander , which ended service in 2012. Northern Railway of Canada The Northern Railway of Canada was a railway in the province of Ontario , Canada. It was the first steam railway to enter service in what was then known as Upper Canada . It

1742-565: The Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway was inducted to the North America Railway Hall of Fame . The OS&HR was recognized for its contribution to railroading as a "Community, Business, Government or Organization" in the "National" category (pertaining specifically to the area in and around St. Thomas, Ontario.) Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company ( French : Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada ) ( reporting mark CN )

1809-511: The U.S. rail industry, CN bought the Illinois Central Railroad (IC), which connected the already existing lines from Vancouver , British Columbia, to Halifax , Nova Scotia, with a line running from Chicago, Illinois, to New Orleans , Louisiana. This single purchase of IC transformed CN's entire corporate focus from being an east–west uniting presence within Canada (sometimes to the detriment of logical business models) into

1876-607: The corner of Queen and Yonge Street , would manufacture nine locomotives for the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron railway at an average cost of $ 5000. The first of these was named Toronto , built in its namesake city and the first locomotive built in Canada or in any colony of the British Empire. Commissioned in February 1853, its construction was completed by 16 April. Over five days, it was rolled along temporary wooden rails on Queen Street and York Street, and on 26 April it

1943-649: The deal was the fact that since the Wisconsin Central purchase, CN was required to use DM&I trackage rights for a short 18 km (11 mi) "gap" near Duluth, Minnesota , on the route between Chicago and Winnipeg. To purchase this short section, CN was told by GLT it would have to purchase the entire company. Also included in GLT's portfolio were eight Great Lakes vessels for transporting bulk commodities such as coal and iron ore as well as various port facilities. Following Surface Transportation Board approval for

2010-492: The entire section from York Sub to Barrie. This section was then purchased by the Ontario government for use by GO Transit . CN retained the section from the York Sub to Union Station , but eventually sold off that section to the newly formed Metrolinx in 2009. This junction has been grade separated and has allowed increased commuter traffic on the line, including 15 minute service and weekend trains. The northern portion of

2077-530: The flat terrain between the Niagara Escarpment and the southern shore of Georgian Bay, and the line was completed on 1 April 1872. However, the expansion to Owen Sound was never completed; a combination of much more difficult terrain west of Meaford, the impending arrival of the TG&;B, and demand for other expansions that were considered more important. The company had continually been at odds with

CN Newmarket Subdivision - Misplaced Pages Continue

2144-478: The funding and income needed to begin construction of the Northern and Pacific Junction Railway , which ran between Gravenhurst and Nipissing . This reached the Canadian Pacific Railway transcontinental lines at North Bay in 1886. The Northern Railway was purchased by Grand Trunk Railway in 1888, and through its amalgamation, became part of the Canadian National Railway. CNR operated

2211-598: The government. Primarily a freight railway, CN also operated passenger services until 1978, when they were assumed by Via Rail . The only passenger services run by CN after 1978 were several mixed trains (freight and passenger) in Newfoundland , and several commuter trains both on CN's electrified routes and towards the South Shore in the Montreal area (the latter lasted without any public subsidy until 1986). The Newfoundland mixed trains lasted until 1988, while

2278-442: The largest single shareholder of CN stock, owning a 14.2% interest through Cascade Investment and his own Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation . From 1919 to 1978, the railway was known as "Canadian National Railways" (CNR). The Canadian National Railways (CNR) was incorporated on June 6, 1919, comprising several railways that had become bankrupt and fallen into Government of Canada hands, along with some railways already owned by

2345-468: The late 20th century, CN gained extensive capacity in the United States by taking over such railroads as the Illinois Central . CN is a public company with 22,600 employees and, as of July 2024 , a market cap of approximately US$ 75 billion. CN was government-owned, as a Canadian Crown corporation , from its founding in 1919 until being privatized in 1995. As of 2019 , Bill Gates was

2412-551: The line from King City and instead splitting off west of Barrie to run north to Penetanguishene as the North Simcoe Railway. Construction began in January 1878. In 1881, the entire line was regauged in sections. The entire mainline to Gravenhurst was converted to standard gauge in a single day on 9 July 1881. Work gangs were located all along the line waiting for the 7:45 AM mail train leaving Toronto, which carried

2479-405: The line reached Allandale in Barrie later in 1853, and Collingwood in 1855. Early traffic was dominated by agricultural products, earning it the nickname "Oats, Straw, and Hay". In spite of reasonable volumes of traffic the line was never very profitable, and by 1858 the company was in financial difficulty. Frederick William Cumberland agreed to take control of the railway, after reorganizing as

2546-594: The mainline as the CN Newmarket Subdivision, selling off the branches to the west, and pulling up the section between Barrie and Orillia. It is now the Barrie line after its purchase by Metrolinx . The first locomotive of the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad was named Lady Elgin and built in Portland , Maine . It was named for Mary Lambton, second wife of James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin ,

2613-486: The mainline from the western side of Collingwood to Meaford is now the high-quality 34 kilometres (21 miles) Georgian Trail , which is being expanded towards Owen Sound as the Tom Thompson Trail . Sections from Collingwood to Stayner have a trail running beside them. The North Simcoe Railway now forms the 22.5 kilometres (14.0 mi) Tiny Beaches Trail with sections south of this also in use. Talk about

2680-777: The northernmost trackage of the contiguous North American railway network. Since being purchased by CN in 2006, it has been officially known as the Meander River Subdivision. Newfoundland Railway On 31 March 1949, CNR acquired the assets of the Newfoundland Railway , which in 1979 were reorganized into Terra Transport . CN officially abandoned its rail network in Newfoundland on 1 October 1988. Savage Alberta Railway On December 1, 2006, CN announced that it had purchased Savage Alberta Railway for $ 25 million and that it had begun operating

2747-636: The original Newmarket Sub between Washago Junction and North Bay is still owned and operated by CN, and is exclusively used for freight traffic travelling between Toronto (from the Bala Sub ) and North Bay. On September 19 2018, CN declared that the section running south of Washago to Longford Mills would be discontinued as part of their 3-year-plan. On September 21 2019, the Canadian Railway Preservation and Restoration Association (CRPRA) expressed their interest in that section of

CN Newmarket Subdivision - Misplaced Pages Continue

2814-501: The owner of EWS , the principal freight train operator in the United Kingdom. On May 13, 2003, the provincial government of British Columbia announced the provincial Crown corporation , BC Rail (BCR), would be sold with the winning bidder receiving BCR's surface operating assets (locomotives, cars, and service facilities). The provincial government is retaining ownership of the tracks and right-of-way. On November 25, 2003, it

2881-479: The port town of Penetanguishene , and the Muskoka Branch ran northeast to Gravenhurst . This last expansion would be the starting point for the Northern and Pacific Junction Railway , connecting to the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline outside of North Bay . In 1887, the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) gained a controlling interest, and the takeover was formalized in January 1888. The line primarily served

2948-497: The port towns on Georgian Bay , where it faced increasing competition over the years. A combination of factors, including the Great Depression and the opening of a wider Welland Canal led to decreased use of the ports, and traffic fell. The closure of Collingwood Shipbuilding in 1986 led to the abandonment of the sections in Collingwood and to the west. The line is intact from Barrie all the way to Union Station , with

3015-771: The rail industry, shippers, and political pressure, the STB placed a 15-month moratorium on all rail-industry mergers, effectively scuttling CN-BNSF plans. Both companies dropped their merger applications and have never refiled. After the STB moratorium expired, CN purchased Wisconsin Central (WC) in 2001, which allowed the company's rail network to encircle Lake Michigan and Lake Superior , permitting more efficient connections from Chicago to western Canada. The deal also included Canadian WC subsidiary Algoma Central Railway (ACR), giving access to Sault Ste. Marie and Michigan's Upper Peninsula . The purchase of Wisconsin Central also made CN

3082-545: The rails between Barrie and Longford (just south of Washago Junction) were removed, thus ending service to Orillia, severing the line. The Canadian then used the line as far as Snyder Junction with the York Sub just north of the Toronto city limits, and then uses the York Sub to access the Bala Sub and on to Sudbury. The Northlander instead switched to the Bala Sub for its entire run. In 1996, CN also applied to abandon

3149-918: The railway the same day. TransX Group of Companies In 2018, CN acquired the Winnipeg-based TransX Group of Companies. Transx continues to operate independently. Wisconsin Central Railroad In January 2001, CN acquired the WC for $ 800 million. CN's railway network in the late 1980s consisted of the company's Canadian trackage, along with the following U.S. subsidiary lines: Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW) operating in Michigan , Indiana , and Illinois ; Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway (DWP) operating in Minnesota ; Central Vermont Railway (CV) operating down

3216-540: The railway was largely executed by Frederick Chase Capreol who was fired as manager of the company the day before the ground broke. Financial difficulties and a government bailout led to a reorganization of the company as the Northern Railway of Canada in 1859. The line saw three major expansions; North Grey Railway extended the original mainline to Meaford , the North Simcoe Railway ran to

3283-572: The sale of BC Rail. Also contested was the economic stimulus package the government gave cities along the BC Rail route. Some saw it as a buy-off to get the municipalities to cooperate with the lease, though the government asserted the package was intended to promote economic development along the corridor. Passenger service along the route had been ended by BC Rail a few years earlier due to ongoing losses resulting from deteriorating service. The cancelled passenger service has subsequently been replaced by

3350-603: The section between Toronto and Barrie used by GO Transit as the Barrie line . The Muskoka Junction has been combined with the Ontario Northland Railway to form CNR's mainline in the area north of Orillia . Section west of Collingwood now form the Georgian Trail. The Meaford station was dismantled after 1960 and two stations along this section of the line remain: Several sections of the line have been turned over to rail trail use. The section of

3417-399: The suggestion for a South Simcoe Junction Railway , splitting off the existing line at King City or Bolton , and then meeting the Northern again west of Barrie and continuing on to Penetanguishene as the North Simcoe Railway . Comparing the two, business interests in Simcoe County and towns along the route demanded additional work from both companies. The H&NW finally agreed to run

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3484-423: The system was more or less finalized at that point. However, certain related lawsuits were not resolved until as late as 1936. Canadian National Railways was born out of both wartime and domestic urgency. Until the rise of the personal automobile and creation of taxpayer-funded all-weather highways, railways were the only viable long-distance land transportation available in Canada. As such, their operation consumed

3551-414: The transaction shortly thereafter. The EJ&E lines create a bypass around the western side of heavily congested Chicago-area rail hub and its conversion to use for mainline freight traffic is expected to alleviate substantial bottlenecks for both regional and intercontinental rail traffic subject to lengthy delays entering and exiting Chicago freight yards. The purchase of the lightly used EJ&E corridor

3618-460: The transaction, CN completed the purchase of GLT on May 10, 2004. On December 24, 2008, the STB approved CN's purchase for $ 300 million of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E) ( reporting mark EJE) from the U.S. Steel Corporation , originally announced on September 27, 2007. The STB's decision was to become effective on January 23, 2009, with a closure of

3685-623: The two railroads were formally amalgamated into the CN system. Iowa Northern Railway In 2023, CN acquired the Iowa Northern Railway , but the transaction is awaiting approval by the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Mackenzie Northern Railway In 2006, CN acquired Mackenzie Northern Railway , previously purchased by RailAmerica . This purchase allowed CN to increase their network footprint and hold

3752-555: The years leading up to 1920: The Canadian National Railway Company then evolved through the following steps: GTR management and shareholders opposed to nationalization took legal action, but after several years of arbitration, the GTR was finally absorbed into the CNR on January 30, 1923. Although several smaller independent railways would be added to the CNR in subsequent years as they went bankrupt or it became politically expedient to do so,

3819-435: Was achieved largely through aggressive cuts to the company's management structure, widescale layoffs in its workforce and continued abandonment or sale of its branch lines. In 1993 and 1994, the company experimented with a rebranding that saw the names CN , Grand Trunk Western , and Duluth, Winnipeg, and Pacific replaced under a collective CN North America moniker. In this time, CPR and CN entered into negotiations regarding

3886-488: Was announced CN's bid of CA$ 1   billion would be accepted over those of CPR and several U.S. companies. The transaction was closed effective July 15, 2004. Many opponents – including CPR – accused the government and CN of rigging the bidding process, though this has been denied by the government. Documents relating to the case are under court seal, as they are connected to a parallel marijuana grow-op investigation connected with two senior government aides also involved in

3953-480: Was capped by a performance by Jenny Lind organized by P.T. Barnum . In February 1853, the railway commissioned the construction of the first locomotive built in any British colony. Early construction required the line to pass over the Oak Ridges Moraine , and it was not until 16 May 1853 that the first train reached Machell's Corners, today's Aurora, Ontario . Work north of there was much more rapid;

4020-409: Was enacted into law on July 13, 1995, and by November 28, 1995, the Government of Canada had completed an initial public offering (IPO) and transferred all of its shares to private investors. Two key prohibitions in this legislation include, 1) that no individual or corporate shareholder may own more than 15% of CN, and 2) that the company's headquarters must remain in Montreal , thus maintaining CN as

4087-424: Was eventually acquired by the Grand Trunk Railway , and is therefore a predecessor to the modern Canadian National Railway (CNR). Several sections of the line are still used by CNR and GO Transit . First known as the Toronto, Simcoe and Huron Railway , and then the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway , the aim was to provide a portage route from the upper Great Lakes at Collingwood to Toronto . The plan for

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4154-464: Was lifted onto the new OSH railway tracks on Front Street. Torontonians would monitor the locomotive's progress from the foundry to the Front Street tracks, and the event was the subject of a later artistic rendering. Its first duty was three weeks later, transporting passengers and freight between the city of Toronto and the community of Machell's Corner, now known as Aurora . This first duty

4221-607: Was merged with Central Vermont in 1971 with the creation of the Grand Trunk Corporation. In 1991 the GTW was merged with CN under the "North America" consolidation program. Many of GTWs locomotives and rolling stock would be repainted and the motive power would get the new CN scheme. Illinois Central Railroad In 1998, IC was purchased by CN, which also acquired the Chicago Central in the deal. A year later,

4288-449: Was nationalized in 1918 and consolidated into the Grand Trunk Western in 1971 with the creation of the Grand Trunk Corporation. Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Railroad The DM&IR was purchased by Great Lakes Transportation and in 2011 the DM&IR was merged into CN's Wisconsin Central Subsidiary. The DM&IR was acquired at the same time as the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad. Duluth Winnipeg & Pacific Railroad The DWP

4355-466: Was nationalized with CN in 1918 and became a part of CN's Grand Trunk Corporation in 1971. In 2011 the DWP was merged into the larger Wisconsin Central Subsidiary of CN. Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway In 2009, CN acquired the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway to assist with traffic congestion in Chicago and the surrounding area. In 2013 EJ&E was merged into the greater Wisconsin Central Subsidiary of CN. Grand Trunk Western Railroad The GTW

4422-423: Was officially absorbed into the Northern in 1875. Upset with the Northern remained, and demand for additional shipping routes on the Lakes led to intense building through the entire area. Businessmen in Hamilton took the opportunity to plan a second line to Barrie as the Hamilton and North-Western Railway (H&NW), with their proposed line passing through several towns along the way. The Northern countered with

4489-413: Was put to a referendum and defeated. With the passage of the Railway Guarantee Act in 1849, Capreol joined forces with Charles Albert Berczy and chartered the company in July 1849, now having to raise conventional bonds for the first 75 miles (121 km), from which point government funding would be available. Continued difficulties delayed construction, during which time the company re-chartered as

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