Guelph Junction Railway
Encyclopedia
The Guelph Junction Railway is the first railway in the Commonwealth of Nations
to be owned by a municipality, the city of Guelph
, Ontario
. The only other is Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway
.
which provided the only choice for their freight shipments. Competition was the only answer to high rates. Rather than operate such a small railway themselves, they leased their line to the Canadian Pacific Railway
16 mile link to Campbellville, Ontario
. Shortly afterwards the City of Guelph bought out the merchants and took 100% ownership. It was very successful for many decades however, passenger trains ended and freight trains declined until after a century of operation the CPR declined to renew the lease.
Undeterred, the GJR decided it would continue operations. This time an independent railway operator Ontario Southland Railway was contracted to take over operations beginning January 1, 1998. Under this shortline railway method customers are provided with equal access to both major railways which along with good locally managed service has increased traffic considerably.
The City of Guelph still owns it today and is uniquely the only municipality in Canada
to have its own federally chartered railway.
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
to be owned by a municipality, the city of Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The only other is Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway
Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway
The Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway is a 102-mile long industrial railway from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Shoal Lake near Manitoba's eastern boundary - in Canada. The railway was built to assist in the construction and maintenance of an aqueduct supplying fresh water to Winnipeg...
.
History
The Guelph Junction Railway was created in 1885 by Guelph merchants because of the indifference of the Grand Trunk RailwayGrand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
which provided the only choice for their freight shipments. Competition was the only answer to high rates. Rather than operate such a small railway themselves, they leased their line to the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
16 mile link to Campbellville, Ontario
Campbellville, Ontario
Campbellville, Ontario, Canada is a community in the geographic township of Nassagaweya in the Town of Milton, Halton Region on the Niagara Escarpment and is a tourist destination for residents of the Greater Toronto Area...
. Shortly afterwards the City of Guelph bought out the merchants and took 100% ownership. It was very successful for many decades however, passenger trains ended and freight trains declined until after a century of operation the CPR declined to renew the lease.
Undeterred, the GJR decided it would continue operations. This time an independent railway operator Ontario Southland Railway was contracted to take over operations beginning January 1, 1998. Under this shortline railway method customers are provided with equal access to both major railways which along with good locally managed service has increased traffic considerably.
The City of Guelph still owns it today and is uniquely the only municipality in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to have its own federally chartered railway.