Northern Alberta Railways

Northern Alberta Railways, commonly identified by the reporting mark NAR, was a Canadian railway created to consolidate several provincially controlled lines serving northern Alberta and, eventually, northeastern British Columbia. Its route network connected Edmonton with communities and resource-producing districts including the Peace River country, Grande Prairie, Dawson Creek, Fort McMurray and Waterways. The railway also became an important link for freight moving toward the Mackenzie River system and the Northwest Territories. The company emerged from a difficult period in the development of northern Alberta transportation. In the early twentieth century, private promoters and provincial authorities chartered several railways to open agricultural settlement areas and reach the Athabasca region. The Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway built northwest from Edmonton, reached High Prairie and Spirit River, and later extended through Grande Prairie country toward Dawson Creek. The Central Canada Railway served the Peace River area, while the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway was developed to connect Edmonton with Waterways on the Athabasca River. The Pembina Valley Railway provided another provincial connection between the Edmonton-area network and Barrhead. Financial problems following the First World War affected the privately promoted lines. The Government of Alberta assumed ownership or control of the relevant properties and, after operating arrangements with Canadian Pacific Railway proved unsatisfactory, took a more direct role through its railway department. In 1928, the province grouped the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia; Central Canada; Alberta and Great Waterways; and Pembina Valley lines under the Northern Alberta Railways name. A federal charter followed in March 1929. The province then sold the system in equal portions to Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, with both companies agreeing to preserve it as a separate jointly owned subsidiary. NAR's business was primarily freight transportation rather than consumer-facing passenger service. Its traffic included agricultural products from the Peace River region, general merchandise, construction materials, industrial supplies, and resource-related freight. During the Second World War, the railway experienced major growth because Dawson Creek was the southern terminus of the Alaska Highway project. Defence activity in the Peace River and Fort McMurray areas, including air-training facilities, added further traffic. The company remained strategically significant because it served territory where road and water connections were limited. The railway's role changed as competing and connecting infrastructure developed. British Columbia's Pacific Great Eastern Railway reached Dawson Creek in 1958, diverting much of the traffic that had previously moved over NAR from that community. At the same time, the emerging oil and gas industry increased freight on the Dawson Creek and Fort McMurray branches. The federal Great Slave Lake Railway, completed in 1964 from a connection with NAR at Grimshaw to Hay River, created an interchange route for cargo destined for barge transportation on the Mackenzie River. Development of the Athabasca oil sands during the 1970s further strengthened the importance of the Fort McMurray district. NAR modernized its motive power during the postwar period. Its locomotive fleet was fully dieselized by October 1960, and the company later purchased additional GMD1 locomotives and a small group of GMD SD38-2 locomotives. Passenger operations were reduced as operating patterns changed: a trial using Budd Rail Diesel Cars on the Waterways service in 1966 was unsuccessful, and the service became a mixed train in 1967. Passenger service to Dawson Creek ended on June 1, 1974. Northern Alberta Railways ceased to exist as an independent corporate entity on January 1, 1981. On that date, Canadian National bought Cana…

Northern Alberta Railways was the product of a long provincial effort to provide rail access to northern Alberta. Before its formation, the region's railway development was fragmented among several companies. The Athabaska Railway was chartered in 1907 to build from Edmonton toward Dunvegan and Fort George. It was reorganized in 1911 under the ownership of J. D. McArthur as the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway. Construction began in 1912, reaching Westlock, High Prairie in 1914 and Spirit River in 1915. Instead of continuing to Dunvegan, the company built a branch from Rycroft to Grande Prairie in 1916. The line reached Wembley in 1924, Hythe in 1928 and Dawson Creek across the British Columbia boundary in 1930. The Alberta and Great Waterways Railway received a charter in 1909 to connect Edmonton with Waterways on the Athabasca River. Construction was slow and became associated with a political controversy. The company was rechartered in 1913 under McArthur, began construction from Carbondale in 1914, reached Lac La Biche in 1916 and ultimately arrived at Waterways in 1925. The province acquired the railway outright in 1920. Separately, the Central Canada Railway was chartered in 1913 to connect with the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia line near Aggie and reach Peace River Crossing. Its construction began in 1914 and reached completion in 1916; later extensions reached Berwyn, Whitelaw, Fairview and Hines Creek. The First World War and declining traffic created financial problems for McArthur's railway companies. The provincial government leased the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia and Central Canada lines in 1920, then arranged for Canadian Pacific Railway to operate them under a five-year agreement beginning in 1921. Freight rates became a major political and economic issue. Canadian Pacific applied high rates to the northern lines, which it justified by comparing their operating costs with mountain railway conditions. The resulting burden on Peace River farmers contributed to dissatisfaction with the arrangement. Alberta purchased the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia and Central Canada properties from McArthur in 1925. When the Canadian Pacific operating agreement expired in 1926, direct operation was transferred to the provincial Department of Railways and Telecommunications. That department also operated the Alberta and Great Waterways and the newly authorized Pembina Valley Railway. In 1928 the government sought proposals from both Canadian Pacific and Canadian National for the sale of its railway system. The province consolidated the four principal lines under the Northern Alberta Railways name, and the company received a federal charter in March 1929. The province sold NAR equally to Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway. The two national systems retained it as a separate joint subsidiary, an arrangement that allowed the northern lines to remain integrated while preserving their distinct corporate identity. At formation, NAR was described as one of Canada's largest railway systems. It recorded its first profit in 1937. The Second World War transformed the railway's traffic. In 1942, the Alaska Highway project created heavy demand for transportation from Dawson Creek, which was the highway's mile-zero point and the only location on the project then served by rail. Defence construction and activity around Peace River and Fort McMurray also generated additional freight. After the war, the railway continued to support settlement, agriculture and industrial development across northern Alberta. Competition and new connections altered the network in the postwar decades. The Pacific Great Eastern Railway reached Dawson Creek in 1958, diverting much of the traffic that had previously travelled over NAR from that point. NAR completed dieselization in October 1960, replacing its steam-era operating model with EMD and GMD locomotives. The federal Great Slave Lake Railway opened in 1964 from a connection at Grimshaw to Hay River, creating a rail-to-water route toward the Mackenzie River system. Passenger operations declined as road transport and changing travel patterns reduced demand. The Waterways passenger service was experimentally converted to Budd Rail Diesel Cars in 1966, changed to a mixed train in 1967, and the Dawson Creek passenger train was discontinued in 1974. Resource development became increasingly important. Oil and gas activity contributed to higher traffic on the Dawson Creek and Fort McMurray branches during the 1960s. In the 1970s, investment in the Athabasca oil sands strengthened the Fort McMurray corridor and reinforced NAR's role as a resource railway. The company made a final locomotive purchase in 1975, acquiring four GMD SD38-2 locomotives. On January 1, 1981, Canadian National purchased Canadian Pacific's half of NAR. CN then incorporated the lines into its own system, ending NAR's existence as a separate company and eliminating the joint-ownership structure. The former NAR facilities in Edmonton, including the shops and Dunvegan Yards, were later demolished. During the 1990s and 2000s, sections of the former network were sold, leased, abandoned or reacquired by CN and short-line operators including Mackenzie Northern Railway, Lakeland and Waterways Railway, Alberta Railnet, Savage Alberta Railway and Athabasca Northern Railway. These successor arrangements preserved parts of the original transportation geography even though the NAR corporate brand had disappeared.

1. 1981Canadian National absorbs NAR

   CN purchased CPR's share on January 1 and incorporated the former NAR lines into its own network.

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2. 1974Dawson Creek passenger service ends

   Passenger train service to Dawson Creek was discontinued on June 1.

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3. 1964Great Slave Lake Railway connection opens

   The federal railway to Hay River connected with NAR at Grimshaw, extending rail-served freight toward the Northwest Territories.

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4. 1960Fleet fully dieselized

   NAR completed the conversion of its locomotive fleet from steam to diesel power by October.

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5. 1958Pacific Great Eastern reaches Dawson Creek

   A competing British Columbia railway reached Dawson Creek, diverting much of the community's previous NAR traffic.

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6. 1942Alaska Highway traffic surge

   Dawson Creek's role as the Alaska Highway's mile-zero point produced substantial wartime and civil-defence freight.

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7. 1937First reported profit

   The railway began to show a profit for the first time.

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8. 1929Federal charter and joint sale

   NAR received a federal charter in March and was sold in equal shares to Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway.

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9. 1928Northern Alberta Railways name adopted

   Alberta grouped the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia, Central Canada, Alberta and Great Waterways, and Pembina Valley lines under the NAR name.

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10. 1925Province purchases the McArthur lines

    Alberta acquired the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia and Central Canada properties after the earlier lease arrangement.

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11. 1920Alberta assumes control of key predecessor lines

    The provincial government leased the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia and Central Canada lines and purchased the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway.

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12. 1911Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway reorganized

    The predecessor railway was rechartered under J. D. McArthur, beginning the construction program that later reached the Peace River country and Dawson Creek.

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13. 1907Athabaska Railway chartered

    An early predecessor was authorized to build from Edmonton toward the Dunvegan and Fort George areas.

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A regionally essential northern Canadian railway focused on opening and serving remote agricultural, industrial and resource-producing districts.

• Agricultural freight serviceFreight transportation

  NAR provided rail access for agricultural communities in northern Alberta, particularly in the Peace River and Grande Prairie regions. Its lines connected farming districts with Edmonton and wider Canadian markets. The railway's role was especially important where road infrastructure was limited and where high freight costs could materially affect the competitiveness of producers.

• Resource and industrial freightFreight transportation

  The railway handled industrial supplies and resource-sector traffic for northern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia. Oil and gas development increased traffic on the Dawson Creek and Fort McMurray branches, while investment in the Athabasca oil sands made the Fort McMurray corridor increasingly significant during the 1970s.

• Dawson Creek routeRail route1930

  The western portion of the NAR system extended through the Peace River and Grande Prairie country to Dawson Creek, British Columbia. It became strategically important during the Alaska Highway project because Dawson Creek was the highway's southern starting point. Traffic later declined after the Pacific Great Eastern Railway reached Dawson Creek.

• Fort McMurray and Waterways serviceRail route1925

  The Alberta and Great Waterways predecessor connected Edmonton with Waterways and later served the Fort McMurray region. The route supported general freight, industrial development and the expanding Athabasca resource economy. Passenger operations on the Waterways service were tested with Budd Rail Diesel Cars in 1966 before reverting to a mixed-train arrangement.

• Passenger and mixed-train servicePassenger transportation

  Although NAR was principally a freight railway, it operated passenger services to communities along its system. The Waterways passenger train was replaced experimentally by Budd Rail Diesel Cars in 1966, but the trial did not succeed and a mixed train was used from 1967. Passenger service to Dawson Creek ended in 1974.

• 1981CN purchases CPR's NAR shareM&A

  NAR had operated for decades as an equal joint subsidiary of Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway.

  What changed. Canadian National bought Canadian Pacific's share on January 1 and integrated the former NAR routes into the CN system.

  Aftermath. Northern Alberta Railways disappeared as a separate corporate entity, while sections of its infrastructure continued under CN and later short-line operators.

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• 1966Budd Rail Diesel Car passenger experimentOther

  Passenger demand and operating economics on the Waterways route were changing, encouraging NAR to test a more lightweight operating model.

  What changed. NAR replaced the Waterways passenger train with Budd Rail Diesel Cars.

  Aftermath. The experiment was unsuccessful. The service was replaced by a mixed train in 1967.

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• 1960Complete dieselizationStrategy

  NAR modernized its motive power as Canadian railways shifted away from steam locomotives.

  What changed. The entire NAR locomotive fleet was dieselized by October 1960, using EMD GP9 and GMD1 locomotives.

  Aftermath. Diesel operation became the standard for the remaining life of the company, with later locomotive additions including SD38-2 units.

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• 1928Consolidation under the NAR structureStrategy

  Alberta controlled several northern railway properties after private operators experienced financial and operating difficulties. The province sought a unified structure and solicited purchase proposals from Canadian National and Canadian Pacific.

  What changed. The province grouped four railway systems under the Northern Alberta Railways name and proceeded toward a jointly owned railway arrangement.

  Aftermath. The consolidated system received a federal charter in 1929 and continued as a separate subsidiary jointly owned by CN and CPR.

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• 1909Alberta and Great Waterways Railway political controversyControversy

  The early Alberta and Great Waterways Railway project became associated with a political scandal after construction faltered and the undertaking was later rechartered. The episode occurred during the predecessor railway's development, before the creation of Northern Alberta Railways, but formed part of the political background to provincial involvement in northern railway construction.

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• 2019Alberta railway tragedy at Carbondale recalled

  A local historical account revisited the November 10, 1959 head-on collision involving a steam locomotive and a diesel locomotive at Carbondale Station on the Alberta and Great Waterways line, later part of the Northern Alberta Railways system.

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1. Northern Alberta Railways
2. Carbondale resident uncovers historic tragedy in backyard