Winnipeg–Churchill train

Via Rail service in Manitoba, Canada From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

Service typeInter-city rail
StatusOperating
Current operatorVia Rail
Quick facts Overview, Service type ...
Winnipeg–Churchill train
The Winnipeg–Churchill train at Churchill in 2024
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusOperating
LocaleManitoba, Canada
Current operatorVia Rail
Former operatorCanadian 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 frequency2 trains per week
Train numbers693, 691 (northbound),
692, 690 (southbound)
On-board services
ClassesEconomy and sleeper class
Seating arrangementsCoach seat
Sleeping arrangementsSleepers (offering some "open sections")
Catering facilitiesDining car
Technical
Rolling stockF40PH locomotives
Skyline series
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Operating speed80 mph (128 km/h)
Track ownersCN, HBRY, KRC
Route map
1697
Churchill
1685
Tidal
1670
Digges
1659
Bylot
1646
Lamprey
1632
Chesnaye
1617
Cromarty
1603
Belcher
1588
M'Clintock
1575
Back
1562
O'Day
1548
Kellett
1540
Herchmer
1520
Silcox
1508
Thibaudeau
1492
Lawledge
1477
Weir River
1463
Charlebois
1448
Amery
1435
Bird
1414
Kettle Rapids
1401
Gillam
1390
Luke
1366
Wivenhoe
1353
Nonsuch
1337
Ilford
1310
Munk
1289
Pit Siding
1279
Boyd
1257
Arnot
1249
Wilde
1229
Bridgar
1220
Pikwitonei
1199
Sipiwesk
1149
Thompson
1086
Leven
1073
Thicket Portage
1064
Hockin
1052
La Perouse
1041
Earchman
1031
Odhill
1017
Lyddal
996
Wabowden
985
Pipun
973
Dunlop
961
Button
949
Ponton
927
Turnbull
907
Wekusko
890
Paterson
877
Dyce
864
Rawebb
850
Dering
843
Cormorant
837
Halcrow
825
Budd
811
Finger
804
Atikameg Lake
798
Orok
790
Tremaudan
777
The Pas
636
Hudson Bay
586
Reserve
549
Endeavour
520
Sturgis
484
Canora
473
Mikado
459
Veregin
446
Kamsack
412
Togo
385
Roblin
331
Grandview
315
Gilbert Plains
283
Dauphin
262
Ochre River
238
Laurier
224
McCreary
191
Glenella
169
Plumas
148
Gladstone
88
Portage la Prairie
0
Winnipeg
Close

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.

Schedule

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.

History

A Winnipeg–Churchill train at Churchill in 1997

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]

2017 flooding

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]

List of stations

More information Name, Province ...
NameProvinceCoordinates
WinnipegMB49°53′20″N 97°08′03″W
Portage la PrairieMB49°58′38″N 98°17′17″W
GladstoneMB50°13′31″N 98°56′54″W
PlumasMB50°23′05″N 99°05′23″W
GlenellaMB50°33′24″N 99°11′46″W
McCrearyMB50°46′25″N 99°29′23″W
LaurierMB50°53′17″N 99°33′39″W
Ochre RiverMB51°03′37″N 99°46′48″W
DauphinMB51°09′02″N 100°03′06″W
Gilbert PlainsMB51°08′52″N 100°29′13″W
GrandviewMB51°10′18″N 100°41′56″W
RoblinMB51°13′48″N 101°21′08″W
TogoSK51°24′N 101°35′W
KamsackSK51°34′N 101°54′W
VereginSK51°34′41″N 102°04′40″W
MikadoSK51°36′31″N 102°16′16″W
CanoraSK51°38′15″N 102°26′13″W
SturgisSK51°56′26″N 102°32′38″W
EndeavourSK52°09′38″N 102°39′29″W
ReserveSK52°28′00″N 102°39′04″W
Hudson BaySK52°51′47″N 102°23′48″W
The PasMB53°49′26″N 101°14′51″W
TremaudanMB53°54′32″N 101°10′16″W
OrokMB53°57′28″N 101°03′26″W
DeringMB54°15′15″N 100°32′00″W
FingerMB54°00′25″N 100°52′26″W
BuddMB54°02′56″N 100°48′18″W
HalcrowMB54°10′38″N 100°37′29″W
CormorantMB54°13′26″N 100°36′01″W
DeringMB54°15′15″N 100°32′00″W
RawebbMB54°18′26″N 100°19′12″W
DyceMB54°22′03″N 100°09′24″W
PatersonMB54°25′35″N 99°59′43″W
WekuskoMB54°30′12″N 99°45′04″W
TurnbullMB54°33′58″N 99°28′37″W
PontonMB54°38′36″N 99°09′32″W
ButtonMB54°40′44″N 98°59′41″W
DunlopMB54°44′39″N 98°51′43″W
PipunMB54°50′19″N 98°45′13″W
WabowdenMB54°54′32″N 98°37′47″W
LyddalMB55°01′46″N 98°24′53″W
OdhillMB55°06′27″N 98°13′30″W
EarchmanMB55°09′24″N 98°06′31″W
La PerouseMB56°24′35″N 94°31′49″W
HockinMB55°16′35″N 97°49′50″W
Thicket PortageMB55°19′05″N 97°41′13″W
LevenMB55°22′51″N 97°32′32″W
ThompsonMB55°44′26″N 97°49′47″W
SipiweskMB55°27′20″N 97°24′26″W
PikwitoneiMB55°35′16″N 97°09′20″W
BridgarMB55°38′13″N 97°03′42″W
WildeMB55°43′35″N 96°48′46″W
ArnotMB55°46′02″N 96°41′05″W
BoydMB55°52′40″N 96°28′21″W
Pit SidingMB55°54′34″N 96°19′03″W
MunkMB55°58′44″N 95°59′34″W
IlfordMB56°03′53″N 95°36′25″W
NonsuchMB56°07′35″N 95°22′38″W
WivenhoeMB56°10′35″N 95°12′46″W
LukeMB56°17′45″N 94°51′17″W
GillamMB56°20′50″N 94°42′28″W
BirdMB56°30′13″N 94°12′38″W
AmeryMB56°33′54″N 94°03′45″W
Weir RiverMB56°49′04″N 94°05′33″W
ThibaudeauMB57°04′26″N 94°08′41″W
HerchmerMB57°22′19″N 94°11′14″W
O'DayMB57°34′39″N 94°12′14″W
M'ClintockMB57°48′06″N 94°12′49″W
TidalMB58°39′47″N 94°07′13″W
ChurchillMB58°46′04″N 94°10′27″W
Close
VIA Winnipeg-Churchill

References

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