Manitoba’s first producer-owned railway will operate a short line on 35 kilometres of track from Manitou to Morden starting this spring.
Boundary Trails Railway Co. (BTRC) president Kevin Friesen said 75 producers have invested in the short line.
“We were hoping that this idea would catch on and the first 100 producer cars are booked for old crop, so that’s pretty exciting,” said.
“There are quite a few groups who have gotten together and putting together ideas as far as facilities along the line.”
Producers in the region proposed establishing the short-line last spring after Canadian Pacific Railway formally abandoned its line from Killarney to Morden.
However, even before the official abandonment, rail traffic was minimal on the line and producers were trucking their grain to terminals in Morden, Killarney and Rathwell.
“It would’ve been 60 miles (100 km) for some guys,” Friesen said.
He declined to say how much the company paid CPR for the line, adding the figure will be available later this month when the transaction is final.
