1929–1931: The Early Canadian Pacific Era

Before the railway, settlers in the Choiceland district faced isolated conditions and rugged terrain. [1]

• 1929: The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) began building the White Fox subdivision, which originated at the unique dual-purpose Crooked Bridge in Nipawin and extended west toward Choiceland. [1, 2, 3]

• 1930: Crews officially laid down the steel tracks into the area. [1]

• 1931: The very first train rolled into Choiceland. This transformed the tiny hamlet into a booming commercial hub, positioning Railway Avenue as the town's core and sparking the construction of grain elevators and the local hotel. [1, 2]

The 1990s: Abandonment Threat

For decades, the line served as the primary transport system for agricultural products in northeastern Saskatchewan. However, by the late 1990s, corporate consolidation led CPR to discontinue operations on the line, threatening to force local farmers to haul grain up to 70 miles away to distant terminals. [1, 2, 3, 4]

2007–2008: Local Farmers Take the Reins

When the official abandonment process ended, local residents took a historic risk. [1]

• Late 2007: A coalition of 46 local shareholders—consisting of municipal governments (Choiceland, Nipawin, White Fox, and the RM of Torch River) alongside area farmers—negotiated directly with CP. They purchased the 28-mile (45 km) stretch of track for $1.2 million. [1, 2]

• July 2008: Torch River Rail officially launched operations as a locally-owned short line railway. Despite starting out without a single tool, they moved 400 cars in their first year—doubling their initial business projections. [1, 2, 3]

2014–Present: Expansion and Stability

• 2014: The railway expanded heavily by opening a new $1 million high-efficiency producer car loading facility in Choiceland. The infrastructure included 30,000 bushels of storage and a short-axle scale.

• Commodities: Today, the railway acts as a critical link, hauling high-quality oats directly to major US markets (such as Quaker Oats), alongside fertilizer and forestry products. It safely interchanges its cars with the CPKC network back in Nipawin. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Shortline Map