The Athabasca Northern Railway was a shortline railway in Alberta, Canada. Originally built as the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway between 1909 and 1925, the line ran 325 km between Boyle and Fort McMurray. It eventually became part of the Northern Alberta Railways, which was jointly owned by the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, and it was closed in 1989.[1][2]
The line was reborn as the Athabasca Northern Railway in 2000 when it was sold to Cando Contracting.[3][4] By 2007, the track had deteriorated due to increased traffic, and the line was set to be abandoned.[5] It was re-acquired by Canadian National in December 2007, however,[6] and as of 2011, rehabilitation was underway.[7]
References
- Atlas of Alberta Railways: The Alberta and Great Waterways Railway University of Alberta, retrieved 21 October 2017^
- Atlas of Alberta Railways: The beginnings of the Northern Alberta Railways. University of Alberta, retrieved 25 October 2017^
- Cando^
- ANY--Athabasca Northern Railway retrieved 2007-10-11^
- Deadline for Alberta short line abandonment looms retrieved 2007-10-11^
- CN buys key link to Alberta oilsands CBC News, 2007-12-24^
- Bourgonje, T. and Diercks, S.A., 2011.. Rehabilitation of Canadian National Railway tracks servicing oil sands in northern Alberta; the Athabasca Northern Railway. Arema, retrieved 24 October 2017^