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Winnipeg–Churchill train - Wikipedia

  • ️Tue Oct 17 2000

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Winnipeg–Churchill train

The Winnipeg–Churchill train at Churchill in 1997

Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusOperating
LocaleManitoba, Canada
Current operator(s)Via Rail
Former operator(s)Canadian National Railway
Ridership428 weekly (FY 2023)[1]
Annual ridership22,247 (FY 2023)[1]
WebsiteWinnipeg - Churchill
Route
TerminiWinnipeg, Manitoba; The Pas, Manitoba
Churchill, Manitoba
Distance travelled1,710 km (1,063 mi)
Average journey time44 h 55 m to Churchill, 45 h 15 m to Winnipeg
Service frequency3 trains per week
Train number(s)693, 691 (northbound),
692, 690 (southbound)
On-board services
Class(es)Economy and sleeper class
Seating arrangementsCoach seat
Sleeping arrangementsSleepers (offering some "open sections")
Catering facilitiesDining car
Technical
Rolling stockStainless Steel Cars
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Operating speed80 mph (128 km/h)
Track owner(s)CN, HBRY, KRC
Route map
1697 km
1054 mi
Churchill

1685 km
1047 mi
 Tidal

1670 km
1038 mi
 Digges

1659 km
1031 mi
 Bylot

1646 km
1023 mi
 Lamprey

1632 km
1014 mi
 Chesnaye

1617 km
1005 mi
 Cromarty

1603 km
996 mi
 Belcher

1588 km
987 mi
 M'Clintock

1575 km
979 mi
 Back

1562 km
971 mi
 O'Day

1548 km
962 mi
 Kellett

1540 km
957 mi
 Herchmer

1520 km
944 mi
 Silcox

1508 km
937 mi
 Thibaudeau

1492 km
927 mi
 Lawledge

1477 km
918 mi
 Weir River

1463 km
909 mi
 Charlebois

1448 km
900 mi
 Amery

1435 km
892 mi
 Bird

1414 km
879 mi
 Kettle Rapids

1401 km
871 mi
Gillam

1390 km
864 mi
 Luke

1366 km
849 mi
 Wivenhoe

1353 km
841 mi
 Nonsuch

1337 km
831 mi
 Ilford

1310 km
814 mi
 Munk

1289 km
801 mi
 Pit Siding

1279 km
795 mi
 Boyd

1257 km
781 mi
 Arnot

1249 km
776 mi
 Wilde

1229 km
764 mi
 Bridgar

1220 km
758 mi
 Pikwitonei

1199 km
745 mi
 Sipiwesk

1149 km
714 mi
Thompson

1086 km
675 mi
 Leven

1073 km
667 mi
 Thicket Portage

1064 km
661 mi
 Hockin

1052 km
654 mi
 La Perouse

1041 km
647 mi
 Earchman

1031 km
641 mi
 Odhill

1017 km
632 mi
 Lyddal

996 km
619 mi
 Wabowden

985 km
612 mi
 Pipun

973 km
605 mi
 Dunlop

961 km
597 mi
 Button

949 km
590 mi
 Ponton

927 km
576 mi
 Turnbull

907 km
564 mi
 Wekusko

890 km
553 mi
 Paterson

877 km
545 mi
 Dyce

864 km
537 mi
 Rawebb

850 km
528 mi
 Dering

843 km
524 mi
 Cormorant

837 km
520 mi
 Halcrow

825 km
513 mi
 Budd

811 km
504 mi
 Finger

804 km
500 mi
 Atikameg Lake

798 km
496 mi
 Orok

790 km
491 mi
 Tremaudan

777 km
483 mi
The Pas

636 km
395 mi
 Hudson Bay

586 km
364 mi
 Reserve

549 km
341 mi
 Endeavour

520 km
323 mi
 Sturgis

484 km
301 mi
Canora

473 km
294 mi
 Mikado

459 km
285 mi
 Veregin

446 km
277 mi
 Kamsack

412 km
256 mi
 Togo

385 km
239 mi
 Roblin

331 km
206 mi
 Grandview

315 km
196 mi
 Gilbert Plains

283 km
176 mi
Dauphin

262 km
163 mi
 Ochre River

238 km
148 mi
 Laurier

224 km
139 mi
 McCreary

191 km
119 mi
 Glenella

169 km
105 mi
 Plumas

148 km
92 mi
 Gladstone

88 km
55 mi
 Portage la Prairie

0

Winnipeg

This diagram:

The Winnipeg–Churchill train (formerly known as the Hudson Bay and, before that, Northern Spirits)[2] is a twice weekly passenger train operated by Via Rail between Winnipeg and Churchill, Manitoba. It is the only dry-land connection between Churchill and the rest of Canada.

The service, which runs through Manitoba and Saskatchewan, travels on the Canadian National Railway line north to The Pas, where it transfers to the Hudson Bay Railway, passing through Wabowden, Manitoba, with a spur from Sipiwesk to Thompson, and Gillam on its way to the Port of Churchill on Hudson Bay.

The northbound train leaves Winnipeg at 12:05 on Tuesdays and Sundays and is scheduled to arrive in Churchill two days later at 09:00. The southbound service departs Churchill at 19:30 on Thursday and Saturday evenings and reaches Winnipeg at 16:45 two days later. An additional weekly service operates in each direction between The Pas (departure at 02:30 on Fridays) and Churchill (departure at 19:30 on Tuesdays). The trip takes approximately 45 hours each way.

An unnamed mixed passenger train connecting with the Winnipeg–Churchill train at The Pas previously served Lynn Lake, but this service was truncated to Pukatawagan in 2003 by the then track owners OmniTRAX citing a loss in freight traffic making the service unprofitable. Via still operates twice weekly service from The Pas to Pukatawagan on behalf of the Keewatin Railway which now owns the Sherridon Subdivision.[2][3][4]

Service between Gillam and Churchill was suspended on May 23, 2017, when flooding heavily damaged the track bed and bridges.[5] Because supplies had to be flown in by air when train service was suspended, prices skyrocketed in Churchill.[6]

Repairs of the track began on September 8, 2018.[7] By October 31, 2018, the track was repaired,[8] and passenger services resumed with train 693 on December 2.[9]

Name Province Coordinates
Winnipeg MB 49°53′20.000″N 97°8′3.001″W / 49.88888889°N 97.13416694°W
Portage la Prairie MB 49°58′37.9″N 98°17′17.2″W / 49.977194°N 98.288111°W
Gladstone MB 50°13′31.1″N 98°56′53.9″W / 50.225306°N 98.948306°W
Plumas MB 50°23′4.6″N 99°5′22.9″W / 50.384611°N 99.089694°W
Glenella MB 50°33′23.8″N 99°11′46.0″W / 50.556611°N 99.196111°W
McCreary MB 50°46′24.6″N 99°29′22.9″W / 50.773500°N 99.489694°W
Laurier MB 50°53′17.2″N 99°33′38.9″W / 50.888111°N 99.560806°W
Ochre River MB 51°3′37.1″N 99°46′47.6″W / 51.060306°N 99.779889°W
Dauphin MB 51°9′2.2″N 100°3′6.5″W / 51.150611°N 100.051806°W
Gilbert Plains MB 51°8′52.1″N 100°29′13.2″W / 51.147806°N 100.487000°W
Grandview MB 51°10′17.8″N 100°41′55.7″W / 51.171611°N 100.698806°W
Roblin MB 51°13′48.4″N 101°21′7.9″W / 51.230111°N 101.352194°W
Togo SK 51°24′26″N 101°35′25″W / 51.40722°N 101.59028°W
Kamsack SK 51°33′28″N 101°54′7″W / 51.55778°N 101.90194°W
Veregin SK 51°34′41.2″N 102°4′40.4″W / 51.578111°N 102.077889°W
Mikado SK 51°36′31″N 102°16′16″W / 51.60861°N 102.27111°W
Canora SK 51°38′15″N 102°26′13″W / 51.63750°N 102.43694°W
Sturgis SK 51°56′26″N 102°32′38″W / 51.94056°N 102.54389°W
Endeavour, Saskatchewan SK 52°9′38″N 102°39′29″W / 52.16056°N 102.65806°W
Reserve SK 52°28′0″N 102°39′4″W / 52.46667°N 102.65111°W
Hudson Bay SK 52°51′46.80″N 102°23′48.05″W / 52.8630000°N 102.3966806°W
The Pas MB 53°49′26.4″N 101°14′51.0″W / 53.824000°N 101.247500°W
Tremaudan MB 53°54′32.0″N 101°10′16.0″W / 53.908889°N 101.171111°W
Orok MB 53°57′28.1″N 101°3′25.9″W / 53.957806°N 101.057194°W
Dering MB 54°15′15.1″N 100°31′59.9″W / 54.254194°N 100.533306°W
Finger MB 54°0′24.8″N 100°52′26.0″W / 54.006889°N 100.873889°W
Budd MB 54°2′55.7″N 100°48′18.4″W / 54.048806°N 100.805111°W
Halcrow MB 54°10′37.9″N 100°37′28.9″W / 54.177194°N 100.624694°W
Cormorant MB 54°13′26.0″N 100°36′1.1″W / 54.223889°N 100.600306°W
Dering MB 54°15′15.1″N 100°31′59.9″W / 54.254194°N 100.533306°W
Rawebb MB 54°18′25.9″N 100°19′12.0″W / 54.307194°N 100.320000°W
Dyce MB 54°22′3.0″N 100°9′24.1″W / 54.367500°N 100.156694°W
Paterson MB 54°25′35.0″N 99°59′43.1″W / 54.426389°N 99.995306°W
Wekusko MB 54°30′11.9″N 99°45′4.0″W / 54.503306°N 99.751111°W
Turnbull MB 54°33′58.0″N 99°28′36.8″W / 54.566111°N 99.476889°W
Ponton MB 54°38′35.9″N 99°9′32.0″W / 54.643306°N 99.158889°W
Button MB 54°40′44.0″N 98°59′40.9″W / 54.678889°N 98.994694°W
Dunlop MB 54°44′39.1″N 98°51′42.8″W / 54.744194°N 98.861889°W
Pipun MB 54°50′19.0″N 98°45′13.0″W / 54.838611°N 98.753611°W
Wabowden MB 54°54′32.0″N 98°37′46.9″W / 54.908889°N 98.629694°W
Lyddal MB 55°1′45.8″N 98°24′52.9″W / 55.029389°N 98.414694°W
Odhill MB 55°6′27.0″N 98°13′30.0″W / 55.107500°N 98.225000°W
Earchman MB 55°9′24.1″N 98°6′31.0″W / 55.156694°N 98.108611°W
La Perouse MB 56°24′34.9″N 94°31′49.1″W / 56.409694°N 94.530306°W
Hockin MB 55°16′35.0″N 97°49′50.2″W / 55.276389°N 97.830611°W
Thicket Portage MB 55°19′5.2″N 97°41′12.8″W / 55.318111°N 97.686889°W
Leven MB 55°22′50.9″N 97°32′31.9″W / 55.380806°N 97.542194°W
Thompson MB 55°44′26.2″N 97°49′47.3″W / 55.740611°N 97.829806°W
Sipiwesk MB 55°27′20.2″N 97°24′25.9″W / 55.455611°N 97.407194°W
Pikwitonei MB 55°35′16.1″N 97°9′20.2″W / 55.587806°N 97.155611°W
Bridgar MB 55°38′12.8″N 97°3′42.1″W / 55.636889°N 97.061694°W
Wilde MB 55°43′35.0″N 96°48′46.1″W / 55.726389°N 96.812806°W
Arnot MB 55°46′1.9″N 96°41′4.9″W / 55.767194°N 96.684694°W
Boyd MB 55°52′40.1″N 96°28′21.0″W / 55.877806°N 96.472500°W
Pit Siding MB 55°54′33.8″N 96°19′3.0″W / 55.909389°N 96.317500°W
Munk MB 55°58′44.0″N 95°59′34.1″W / 55.978889°N 95.992806°W
Ilford MB 56°3′52.9″N 95°36′24.8″W / 56.064694°N 95.606889°W
Nonsuch MB 56°7′35.0″N 95°22′37.9″W / 56.126389°N 95.377194°W
Wivenhoe MB 56°10′35.0″N 95°12′46.1″W / 56.176389°N 95.212806°W
Luke MB 56°17′44.9″N 94°51′16.9″W / 56.295806°N 94.854694°W
Gillam MB 56°20′49.9″N 94°42′28.1″W / 56.347194°N 94.707806°W
Bird MB 56°30′13.0″N 94°12′38.2″W / 56.503611°N 94.210611°W
Amery MB 56°33′54.0″N 94°3′45.0″W / 56.565000°N 94.062500°W
Weir River MB 56°49′4.1″N 94°5′33.0″W / 56.817806°N 94.092500°W
Thibaudeau MB 57°4′26.0″N 94°8′40.9″W / 57.073889°N 94.144694°W
Herchmer MB 57°22′18.8″N 94°11′13.9″W / 57.371889°N 94.187194°W
O'Day MB 57°34′39.0″N 94°12′14.0″W / 57.577500°N 94.203889°W
M'Clintock MB 57°48′6.1″N 94°12′49.0″W / 57.801694°N 94.213611°W
Tidal MB 58°39′47.2″N 94°7′13.1″W / 58.663111°N 94.120306°W
Churchill MB 58°46′4.1″N 94°10′27.5″W / 58.767806°N 94.174306°W

VIA Winnipeg-Churchill

  1. ^ a b "Annual Report 2023" (PDF). viarail.ca. Via Rail Canada. p. 22. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b "VIA Rail Canada - Northern Trains". Archived from the original on 2000-10-17.
  3. ^ "Hudson Bay Rail to end service from Lynn Lake, Man., to Pukatawagan reserve". Canadian Press. 8 December 2003.
  4. ^ "The Adventure Routes".
  5. ^ "Via Rail service between Churchill and Gillam suspended indefinitely due to closure of the railway infrastructure in northern Manitoba". VIA Rail Canada Inc. (Press release). CNW. 2017-06-09. Retrieved 2017-06-10.
  6. ^ Hoye, Bryce (January 18, 2019). "Return of train to Churchill raised spirits — but mayor says fuel, food costs remain high". CBC News.
  7. ^ "Company fixing Churchill rail line says repairs will be complete in 60 days | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  8. ^ "'We are free:' Churchill celebrates return of train service with prime minister". Edmonton Journal. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  9. ^ "'It's very exciting': First rail tourists in 560 days depart for Churchill, Man". CBC News. 2 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
External videos
video icon "48hrs on VIA Rail's Most Northern Train in Canada" on YouTube, DownieLive, 2020-11-28