Ottawa Valley Railway
Encyclopedia
Ottawa Valley Railway is a Canadian
railroad that operates 342 miles (550.4 km) of track in the province of Ontario
and Quebec
, and is owned by RailAmerica
.
The railroad began operations on 30 October 1996 under the auspices of RaiLink Canada, and fell under the control of RailAmerica after that company bought RaiLink in July 1999. It was formed to operate both local trains and through-service Canadian Pacific Railway
trains.
The OVR operates between Sudbury, Ontario and Temiscaming, Quebec
, reduced from its original routing between Sudbury and Smith Falls, Ontario with a branch to Temiscaming.
The rerouting came about as a result of the reduction of both local traffic on the line and through traffic operated by the Canadian Pacific. As traffic was reduced on other CP routes, that railroad was able to redirect trains onto its lines through Toronto
, and RailAmerica's lease on the line to the east of Petawawa, Ontario
ended in December 2009. The OVR continued operating the route between Sudbury and Temiscaming, and in early October 2010, RailAmerica and CP reached a new agreement under which those operations would continue, while CP would continue procedures for ending service to the east of Mattawa
. On 3 August 2011, it was announced that the rails between Renfrew
and Pembroke, Ontario
were planned to be removed by the end of the year, with the remainder of the Mattawa—Smiths Falls route to be removed in following years.
The OVR interchanges with the Canadian Pacific at Sudbury and Cartier, Ontario
, as well as with the Canadian National Railway
at North Bay, Ontario
, the Ontario Northland Railroad at North Bay, and the Huron Central Railway
at Sudbury.
The railroad hauled around 70,000 carloads a year, the majority of which came from CP's intermodal bridge traffic. Roughly three quarters of the OVR's traffic was CP bridge traffic. The rest of it was self-generated, and included chemicals and forest products.. However, very little of this traffic came from east of Mattawa.
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...
railroad that operates 342 miles (550.4 km) of track in the province of 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....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and is owned by RailAmerica
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
.
The railroad began operations on 30 October 1996 under the auspices of RaiLink Canada, and fell under the control of RailAmerica after that company bought RaiLink in July 1999. It was formed to operate both local trains and through-service 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...
trains.
The OVR operates between Sudbury, Ontario and Temiscaming, Quebec
Témiscaming, Quebec
Témiscaming is a town located at the south end of Lac Témiscamingue on the upper Ottawa River in the Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality of western Quebec, Canada. Also nearby is Lake Kipawa.-History:...
, reduced from its original routing between Sudbury and Smith Falls, Ontario with a branch to Temiscaming.
The rerouting came about as a result of the reduction of both local traffic on the line and through traffic operated by the Canadian Pacific. As traffic was reduced on other CP routes, that railroad was able to redirect trains onto its lines through Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and RailAmerica's lease on the line to the east of Petawawa, Ontario
Petawawa, Ontario
Petawawa is a town located in eastern portion of Southern Ontario. Situated in the Ottawa Valley, with a population of 14,651 . Petawawa is the most populous municipality in Renfrew County.-Geography:...
ended in December 2009. The OVR continued operating the route between Sudbury and Temiscaming, and in early October 2010, RailAmerica and CP reached a new agreement under which those operations would continue, while CP would continue procedures for ending service to the east of Mattawa
Mattawa, Ontario
Mattawa is a town in northeastern Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers in Nipissing District. Mattawa means "Meeting of the Waters" in Ojibwa...
. On 3 August 2011, it was announced that the rails between Renfrew
Renfrew, Ontario
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada, is a town on the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County. Located one hour west of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Renfrew is the third largest town in the county after Petawawa and Pembroke. The town is a small transportation hub connecting Ontario Highway 60 and Highway 132 with...
and Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
were planned to be removed by the end of the year, with the remainder of the Mattawa—Smiths Falls route to be removed in following years.
The OVR interchanges with the Canadian Pacific at Sudbury and Cartier, Ontario
Cartier, Ontario
Cartier is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Sudbury District approximately north of the northwestern city limits of Greater Sudbury along Highway 144....
, as well as with the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
at North Bay, Ontario
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
, the Ontario Northland Railroad at North Bay, and the Huron Central Railway
Huron Central Railway
Huron Central Railway is a Canadian railway operating in northern Ontario, operated by Genesee & Wyoming Canada Inc., the Canadian subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc....
at Sudbury.
The railroad hauled around 70,000 carloads a year, the majority of which came from CP's intermodal bridge traffic. Roughly three quarters of the OVR's traffic was CP bridge traffic. The rest of it was self-generated, and included chemicals and forest products.. However, very little of this traffic came from east of Mattawa.