Roberval and Saguenay Railway

The Roberval and Saguenay Railway is a small industrial railway in Quebec, Canada, serving the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. Known by the reporting mark RS, it is wholly owned by Rio Tinto Alcan and operates as part of the rail infrastructure supporting the region’s resource and industrial economy. The railway was incorporated in 1911 and has historically been associated with the movement of raw ore and other industrial materials rather than passenger transportation. The line extends for approximately 100 miles, or 160 kilometres, and serves or reaches communities and industrial locations including Saguenay, Hébertville and Alma. It connects with Canadian National Railway, allowing traffic handled by the short line to move into the broader Canadian freight-rail network. This interchange capability gives the railway a role beyond local switching: it links Rio Tinto Alcan-related industrial activity and other regional freight flows with national rail transportation. The railway’s operating profile is that of a specialized freight carrier. Its principal function is the haulage of bulk and raw materials, especially ore-related traffic, using diesel locomotives and infrastructure designed for industrial service. The company is not presented as a consumer-facing transportation brand and has no documented passenger service in the supplied reference material. Its importance lies in the continuity and logistical reliability of freight movement in a region where mining, metals and heavy industry are central economic activities. The Roberval and Saguenay Railway has also retained historical interest because of its former steam locomotive fleet. Two 2-8-0 steam locomotives, numbered 16 and 17, were built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in 1937 and 1940. They hauled ore trains for roughly three decades before leaving regular service in the early 1960s. Locomotive No. 17 was sold in 1971 and subsequently passed to the Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railway in Illinois. It was later preserved and, according to the cited reference, is displayed in Boone, Iowa. In its diesel era, the railway’s documented roster includes four operable locomotives: an EMD SD40-2, an EMD SD40-3 and two EMD GP38-2 locomotives. These locomotives reflect the practical requirements of a compact heavy-freight railroad, including the ability to move substantial industrial consists over a regional network. The available reference material does not provide detailed information about management, traffic volumes, revenues, stations, current operating agreements or a standalone corporate website. The railway is therefore best understood as an active, Rio Tinto Alcan-owned industrial short line whose identity is closely connected to mineral and industrial logistics in northern Quebec.

The Roberval and Saguenay Railway was incorporated in 1911 in Quebec. Its historical and commercial purpose has been tied to freight transportation in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean area, particularly the movement of raw ore and other industrial materials. Unlike a large national railway, it developed as a compact regional and industrial system, serving facilities and communities in northern Quebec and connecting with the wider Canadian rail network. The railway operates approximately 100 miles, or 160 kilometres, of track. Its documented service area includes Saguenay, Hébertville and Alma, with an interchange connection to Canadian National Railway. This connection enables freight originating on the Roberval and Saguenay Railway to reach destinations beyond its own track system and makes the line a component of the region’s industrial supply chain. Steam power formed part of the railway’s earlier operating history. The company owned two 2-8-0 locomotives, numbered 16 and 17, constructed by the Canadian Locomotive Company in 1937 and 1940. Both locomotives spent approximately thirty years hauling ore trains for the railway before being retired from regular service in the early 1960s. Their use illustrates the line’s long-standing specialization in heavy industrial freight rather than passenger operations. Locomotive No. 17 continued to have a post-railway history. In 1971 it was sold to John Thompson and later moved to the Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railway in Marion, Illinois. The locomotive was subsequently preserved; the cited reference places it on public display near U.S. Highway 30 on South Story Street in Boone, Iowa. The preservation of No. 17 provides a tangible link to the Roberval and Saguenay Railway’s steam-powered period. The company’s modern motive-power profile is diesel-based. The documented roster includes four operable locomotives: EMD SD40-2 unit ONT 1735, EMD SD40-3 unit BLE 908, and two EMD GP38-2 units identified as GMTX 2139 and PRLX 2244. These locomotives are suited to the switching, transfer and heavy freight duties associated with a mineral and industrial short line. The railway is wholly owned by Rio Tinto Alcan, linking its operations to one of the major aluminum and mining groups active in the region. The available reference material does not specify the date of the acquisition or provide detailed information about later corporate reorganizations. It does establish that the railway remains a small Rio Tinto Alcan-owned freight carrier serving the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean industrial corridor. Publicly documented information about its executives, finances, annual traffic, customer base and operating frequency is limited.

1. 1971Locomotive No. 17 sold

   Former railway locomotive No. 17 was sold to John Thompson and later entered service with the Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railway in Illinois.

   Source
2. 1960Steam era ended

   The railway’s two documented steam locomotives completed roughly three decades of ore-hauling service and left regular operations in the early 1960s.

   Source
3. 1940Steam locomotive No. 17 built

   The Canadian Locomotive Company built 2-8-0 locomotive No. 17 for the railway’s heavy freight operations.

   Source
4. 1937Steam locomotive No. 16 built

   The Canadian Locomotive Company built 2-8-0 locomotive No. 16, later used by the railway in ore-hauling service.

   Source
5. 1911Railway incorporated

   The Roberval and Saguenay Railway was incorporated in Quebec, establishing the corporate foundation for the regional industrial railway.

   Source

A specialized industrial short-line railway focused on dependable bulk and mineral freight transportation in Quebec.

• Industrial freight rail serviceRail transportation1911

  The railway’s core offering is regional freight transportation for industrial customers. Its approximately 160-kilometre network serves the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean area and supports the movement of raw ore and other heavy materials. The service is oriented toward freight handling, switching and connections to the broader Canadian rail system rather than passenger travel.

• Raw ore and mineral-material haulageBulk freight

  Ore and other raw industrial materials have been central to the railway’s operating identity since its early history. The line’s industrial geography and ownership by Rio Tinto Alcan position it as infrastructure for resource and metals-related logistics in northern Quebec.

• Canadian National Railway interchange serviceRail interchange

  The Roberval and Saguenay Railway connects with Canadian National Railway. This interchange extends the practical reach of the short line by allowing locally handled freight to enter the national Canadian rail network.

1. Roberval and Saguenay Railway