List of Ontario railways explained

The following railways operate in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Common freight carriers

• Barrie Collingwood Railway (BCRY)
• Canadian National Railway (CN) including subsidiaries Algoma Central Railway (AC), Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW), and Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Company (SSAM), and lessor Arnprior–Nepean Railway
• Canadian Pacific Railway (CP)
• CSX Transportation (CSXT)
• Essex Terminal Railway (ETL)
• Goderich–Exeter Railway (GEXR)
• Huron Central Railway (HCRY)
• Minnesota, Dakota and Western Railway (MDW)
• Norfolk Southern Railway (NS)
• Ontario Northland Railway (ONT) including subsidiary Nipissing Central Railway
• Ontario Southland Railway (OS)
• Ottawa Valley Railway (RLK)
• Southern Ontario Railway (RLHH)
• Trillium Railway (TRRY) through subsidiaries Port Colborne Harbour Railway and St. Thomas and Eastern Railway

Passenger carriers

• Amtrak (AMTK)
• Capital Railway
• Falls Incline Railway
• Port Stanley Terminal Rail
• South Simcoe Railway
• Via Rail (Via)
• Waterloo Central Railway
• York–Durham Heritage Railway
• Algoma Central Railway (CN)
• Polar Bear Express (ONTC)

Light Rail Transit

• Ion rapid transit
• OC Transpo
• Toronto Transit Commission

Defunct railways

Name	Mark	System^[1]	From	To	Successor	Notes
Algoma Central Railway			1899	1901	Algoma Central and Hudson Bay Railway
Algoma Central and Hudson Bay Railway	AC		1901	1965	Algoma Central Railway
Algoma Eastern Railway	AER	CP	1911	1958	Canadian Pacific Railway
Amherstburg, Lake Shore and Blenheim Railway		C&O	1889	1890	Lake Erie and Detroit River Railway
Bay of Quinte Railway	BQ	CNor	1897	1954	Canadian Northern Consolidated Railways
Bay of Quinte Railway and Navigation Company		CNor	1881	1897	Bay of Quinte Railway
Belleville and North Hastings Railway		GT	1874	1881	Grand Junction Railway	Purchased by the Grand Junction Railway shortly after completion, became a spur shortly after.
Bessemer and Barry's Bay Railway		CNor	1904	1985		Wholly owned branch of the Central Ontario Railway, ultimately part of CNoR and CN.
Brantford and Buffalo Joint Stock Railroad		GT	1851	1852	Buffalo, Brantford and Goderich Railway
Brantford and Harrisburg Railway		GWR	1871			A short line connecting Brantford with the Great Western junction at Harrisburg. Folded into the Great Western system, then inherited by the Grand Trunk. The line has been abandoned.^[2]
Brantford, Norfolk and Port Burwell Railway		GT	1874	1893	Grand Trunk Railway
Brantford, Waterloo and Lake Erie Railway		CP/ NYC	1885	1892	Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway
Brockville and Ottawa Railway		CP	1853	1878	Canada Central Railway
Brockville and Westport Railway		CNor	1871	1884	Brockville, Westport and Sault Ste. Marie Railway
Brockville, Westport and North-Western Railway		CNor	1903	1914	Canadian Northern Railway
Brockville, Westport and Sault Ste. Marie Railway		CNor	1884	1903	Brockville, Westport and North-Western Railway
Bruce Mines and Algoma Railway			1899	1913	Lake Huron and Northern Ontario Railway
Buffalo, Brantford and Goderich Railway		GT	1852	1856	Buffalo and Lake Huron Railway
Buffalo and Lake Huron Railway		GT	1856	1958	Canadian National Railway
Bytown and Prescott Railway		CP	1850	1855	Ottawa and Prescott Railway
Campbellford, Lake Ontario and Western Railway		CP	1904	1956	Canadian Pacific Railway
Canada Atlantic Railway		GT	1879	1914	Grand Trunk Railway	Part of J.R. Booth's railway network, also including the Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway. Was, for a time, the busiest railway in Canada, carrying 40% of the grain trade.
Canada Central Railway		CP	1861	1881	Canadian Pacific Railway
Canada and Michigan Bridge and Tunnel Company		NYC	1895	1905	Detroit River Tunnel Company
Canada and Michigan Tunnel Company		NYC	1888	1895	Canada and Michigan Bridge and Tunnel Company
Canada Southern Railway	CASO	NYC	1869			Still exists as a subsidiary of CNCP Niagara–Windsor Partnership, a nonoperating joint subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Government Railways	CGR	CGR	1915	1993	Canadian National Railway
Canadian Northern Railway	CN	CNor	1900	1956	Canadian National Railway
Canadian Northern Consolidated Railways		CNor	1954	1956	Canadian National Railway
Canadian Northern Ontario Railway	CNO	CNor	1906	1956	Canadian National Railway
Canadian Northern Quebec Railway	CNQ	CNor	1906			Still exists as a subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway
Central Counties Railway		GT	1889
Central Ontario Railway	COR	CNor	1882	1954	Canadian Northern Consolidated Railways	Mainline runs from Picton to Trenton, then turns north through Hastings County to Bancroft and beyond.
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway	C&O, CO	C&O	1947	1987	CSX Transportation
Cleveland, Port Stanley and London Transportation and Railway Company			1893	1894	Lake Erie and Detroit River Railway
Cobourg, Blairton and Marmora Railway and Mining Company		GT	1887	1893	Grand Trunk Railway
Cobourg and Peterborough Railway		GT	1852	1866	Cobourg, Peterborough and Marmora Railway and Mining Company
Cobourg, Peterborough and Marmora Railway and Mining Company		GT	1866	1887	Cobourg, Blairton and Marmora Railway and Mining Company, Peterborough and Chemong Lake Railway
Consolidated Rail Corporation	CR		1976	1999	CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway
Credit Valley Railway		CP	1871
Detroit River Tunnel Company		NYC	1905			Still exists as a nonoperating subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Dresden and Oil Springs Railway		NYC	1873	1876	Sarnia, Chatham and Erie Railway
Erie and Huron Railway		C&O	1873	1899	Lake Erie and Detroit River Railway
Erie and Niagara Railway		NYC	1863	1893	Canada Southern Railway
Erie and Niagara Extension Railway		NYC	1868	1869	Canada Southern Railway
Erie and Ontario Railway		CP/ NYC	1914	1915	Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway
Erie and Ontario Railway		NYC	1835	1863	Erie and Niagara Railway
Fenelon Falls Railway		GT	1871	1872	Lindsay, Fenelon Falls and Ottawa River Railway
Fort Erie Railway		NYC	1857	1863	Erie and Niagara Railway
Fort William Terminal Railway and Bridge Company		CP	1906	1956	Canadian Pacific Railway
Galt and Guelph Railway		GT	1852	1893	Grand Trunk Railway
Gananoque, Perth and James Bay Railway		GT	1884	1888	Thousand Islands Railway
Gananoque and Rideau Railway		GT	1871	1884	Thousand Islands Railway
Georgian Bay and Seaboard Railway		CP	1905	1956	Canadian Pacific Railway	Wholly owned CPR subsidiary built to avoid shipping grain through the Toronto area, used only briefly until being broken into parts.
Georgian Bay and Wellington Railway		GT	1878	1881	Grand Trunk, Georgian Bay and Lake Erie Railway
Grand Junction Railway		GT	1852	1882	Midland Railway of Canada
Grand River Railway	GRNR	CP	1914			Electric until 1961; still exists as a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Grand Trunk Railway	GT	GT	1852	1923	Canadian National Railway
Grand Trunk, Georgian Bay and Lake Erie Railway		GT	1881	1893	Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway	GTP		1903	1956	Canadian National Railway
Great Northern Railway of Canada		CNor	1892	1906	Canadian Northern Quebec Railway
Great Western Railway		GT	1845	1882	Grand Trunk Railway
Guelph and Goderich Railway		CP	1904	1956	Canadian Pacific Railway
Guelph Junction Railway		CP	1884			Still exists as a lessor of the Ontario Southland Railway
Hamilton and Lake Erie Railway		GT	1869	1876	Hamilton and North-Western Railway
Hamilton and North-Western Railway		GT	1872	1888	Grand Trunk Railway
Hamilton and Port Dover Railway		GT	1853	1873	Hamilton and Lake Erie Railway
Hamilton and Toronto Railway		GT	1852	1855	Great Western Railway
Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway			1900	1960	N/A
Huron and Quebec Railway		GT	1874	1877	Toronto and Ottawa Railway
International Bridge Company		GT	1857	1956	Canadian National Railway
International Bridge and Terminal Company	IBT		1905			Still exists as a nonoperating subsidiary of the Minnesota, Dakota and Western Railway
Interprovincial and James Bay Railway		CP	1901	1956	Canadian Pacific Railway
Irondale, Bancroft and Ottawa Railway		CNor	1884	1943	Canadian National Railway
James Bay Railway		CNor	1895	1906	Canadian Northern Ontario Railway
Kingston, Napanee and Western Railway		CNor	1890	1897	Bay of Quinte Railway
Kingston and Pembroke Railway		CP	1871			Still exists as a nonoperating subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Lake Erie and Detroit River Railway		C&O	1890			Still exists as a subsidiary of CSX Transportation
Lake Erie, Essex and Detroit River Railway		C&O	1885	1891	Lake Erie and Detroit River Railway
Lake Erie and Northern Railway	LEN	CP	1911			Electric until 1961; still exists as a nonoperating subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Lake Huron and Northern Ontario Railway			1913	1921	N/A
Lake Simcoe Junction Railway		GT	1873	1893	Grand Trunk Railway
Lake Temiscamingue Colonization Railway		CP	1886
Leamington, Comber and Lake St. Clair Railway		NYC	1877	1879	Leamington and St. Clair Railway
Leamington and St. Clair Railway		NYC	1879	1904	Canada Southern Railway
Lindsay, Bobcaygeon and Pontypool Railway		CP	1890	1958	Canadian Pacific Railway
Lindsay, Fenelon Falls and Ottawa River Railway		GT	1872	1873	Victoria Railway
London and Gore Railroad		GT	1834	1845	Great Western Railway
London, Huron and Bruce Railway		GT	1871	1893	Grand Trunk Railway
London and Port Stanley Railway	LPS		1853	1965	Canadian National Railway	Electric from 1915 to 1957
Manitoulin and North Shore Railway		CP	1888	1911	Algoma Eastern Railway
Marmora Railway and Mining Company		CNor	1900			Wholly owned branch of the Central Ontario Railway, ultimately part of CNoR and CN.
Michigan Central Railroad		NYC	1883	1930	New York Central Railroad
Midland Railway of Canada		GT	1869	1893	Grand Trunk Railway
Midland Simcoe Railway		CP	1912	1956	Canadian Pacific Railway
Midland Terminal Railway		CP	1903	1912	Midland Simcoe Railway
Montreal and City of Ottawa Junction Railway		GT	1871	1879	Canada Atlantic Railway
Montreal and Ottawa Railway		CP	1890	1958	Canadian Pacific Railway
Napanee, Tamworth and Quebec Railway		CNor	1879	1890	Kingston, Napanee and Western Railway
National Transcontinental Railway		CGR	1903	1993	Canadian National Railway
New York Central Railroad	NYC	NYC	1916	1968	Penn Central Transportation Company
Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge Company		GT	1846
Niagara Peninsula Bridge Company		NYC	1882	1883	Niagara River Bridge Company
Niagara River Bridge Company		NYC	1883	2002	N/A	Still exists as an abandoned subsidiary of CNCP Niagara–Windsor Partnership, a nonoperating joint subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway
Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway	NS&T	CNor	1899	1958	Canadian National Railway	Electric until 1960
Norfolk Railway		GT	1869	1874	Brantford, Norfolk and Port Burwell Railway
Norfolk and Western Railway	N&W, NW		1964	1998	Norfolk Southern Railway
North Grey Railway		GT	1871	1871	Northern Extension Railways
North Simcoe Railway		GT	1874	1893	Grand Trunk Railway
Northern Railway of Canada		GT	1858	1888	Grand Trunk Railway
Northern Extension Railways		GT	1871	1875	Northern Railway of Canada
Northern, North-Western and Sault Ste. Marie Railway		GT	1881	1883	Northern and Pacific Junction Railway
Northern and Pacific Junction Railway		GT	1883	1892	Grand Trunk Railway
Nosbonsing and Nipissing Railway			1886		N/A
Ontario, Belmont and Northern Railway		CNor	1891	1900	Marmora Railway and Mining Company	Wholly owned branch of the Central Ontario Railway, renamed shortly after construction.
Ontario L'Orignal Railway	OLO		1996	2000	Ottawa Central Railway
Ontario and Ottawa Railway		CNor	1910	1914	Canadian Northern Railway
Ontario Pacific Railway		NYC	1882	1897	Ottawa and New York Railway
Ontario and Quebec Railway		CP	1871	1998	St. Lawrence and Hudson Railway
Ontario and Rainy River Railway		CNor	1886	1900	Canadian Northern Railway
Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway		GT	1851	1858	Northern Railway of Canada
Oshawa Railway		GT	1891	1958	Canadian National Railway	Electric until 1964
Oshawa Railway and Navigation Company		GT	1887	1891	Oshawa Railway
Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway		GT	1891	1899	Canada Atlantic Railway	The western half of J.R. Booth's Canada Atlantic Railway, formerly merged into the CAR in 1899.
Ottawa, Arnprior and Renfrew Railway		GT	1888	1891	Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway
Ottawa and Gatineau Railway		CP	1894	1901	Ottawa, Northern and Western Railway
Ottawa and Gatineau Valley Railway		CP	1887	1894	Ottawa and Gatineau Railway
Ottawa Interprovincial Bridge Company		CP	1898
Ottawa and New York Railway		NYC	1897	1957	N/A
Ottawa, Northern and Western Railway		CP	1901	1958	Canadian Pacific Railway
Ottawa and Parry Sound Railway		GT	1888	1891	Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway
Ottawa and Prescott Railway		CP	1855	1867	St. Lawrence and Ottawa Railway
Ottawa Terminals Railway		GT	1907
Parry Sound Colonization Railway		GT	1885	1896	Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway
Pembroke Southern Railway		GT	1893	1956	Canadian National Railway
Penn Central Transportation Company	PC		1968	1976	Consolidated Rail Corporation
Pere Marquette Railroad		C&O	1904	1917	Pere Marquette Railway
Pere Marquette Railway	PM	C&O	1917	1947	Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Peterborough and Chemong Lake Railway		GT	1888	1893	Grand Trunk Railway	Wholly owned subsidiary of the Cobourg and Peterborough, became separate when the rest of the line was sold to the Marmora interests.
Peterborough and Chemong Lake Railway		GT	1855	1868	Cobourg, Peterborough and Marmora Railway and Mining Company
Peterborough and Port Hope Railway		GT	1846	1854	Port Hope, Lindsay and Beaverton Railway
Pontiac Pacific Junction Railway		CP	1880	1903	Ottawa, Northern and Western Railway
Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway		CNor	1887	1900	Canadian Northern Railway
Port Dalhousie and Thorold Railway		GT	1853	1857	Welland Railway
Port Dover and Lake Huron Railway		GT	1872	1881	Grand Trunk, Georgian Bay and Lake Erie Railway
Port Hope, Lindsay and Beaverton Railway		GT	1854	1869	Midland Railway of Canada
Port Whitby and Port Perry Railway		GT	1868	1874	Whitby and Port Perry Extension Railway
Prescott County Railway		GT	1887	1889	Central Counties Railway
Prince Edward County Railway		CNor	1873	1882	Central Ontario Railway
St. Clair Frontier Tunnel Company		GT	1884	1886	St. Clair Tunnel Company
St. Clair Tunnel Company		GT	1886	2008	Grand Trunk Western Railroad
St. Lawrence and Hudson Railway	STLH	CP	1996	2001	Canadian Pacific Railway
St. Lawrence and Ottawa Railway		CP	1867			Still exists as a nonoperating subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway
St. Mary's and Western Ontario Railway		CP	1905	1958	Canadian Pacific Railway
Sarnia, Chatham and Erie Railway		NYC	1876	1904	Canada Southern Railway
South Norfolk Railway		GT	1887	1889	Grand Trunk, Georgian Bay and Lake Erie Railway
South Ontario Pacific Railway		CP	1887	1956	Canadian Pacific Railway
Stratford and Huron Railway		GT	1855	1881	Grand Trunk, Georgian Bay and Lake Erie Railway
Superior and Western Ontario Railway			1909		N/A
Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway	TEM		1902	1946	Ontario Northland Railway
Thousand Islands Railway		GT	1884	1958	Canadian National Railway
Thunder Bay Colonization Railway		CNor	1883	1887	Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway
Tilsonburg, Lake Erie and Pacific Railway		CP	1890	1958	Canadian Pacific Railway
Toronto Belt Line Railway		GT	1889	1943	Canadian National Railway
Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway		CP	1868	1998	St. Lawrence and Hudson Railway
Toronto and Guelph Railway		GT	1851	1853	Grand Trunk Railway
Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway	TH&B, THB	CP/ NYC	1884			Still exists as a nonoperating subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Toronto and Nipissing Railway		GT	1868	1882	Midland Railway of Canada
Toronto and Nipissing Eastern Extension Railway		CNor	1880	1884	Irondale, Bancroft and Ottawa Railway
Toronto and Ottawa Railway		GT	1877	1882	Midland Railway of Canada
Toronto, Simcoe and Lake Huron Railway		GT	1849	1851	Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway
Toronto, Simcoe and Muskoka Junction Railway		GT	1869	1871	Northern Extension Railways
Toronto Terminals Railway		CP/ GT	1906			Still exists as a joint subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway
Trans-Ontario Railway	TOR		1996	1997	Ottawa Valley Railway
Vaudreuil and Prescott Railway		CP	1884	1890	Montreal and Ottawa Railway
Victoria Railway		GT	1873	1882	Midland Railway of Canada
Wabash Railroad		WAB	1898	1915	Wabash Railway
Wabash Railroad	WAB	WAB	1942	1964	Norfolk and Western Railway
Wabash Railway		WAB	1915	1942	Wabash Railroad
Walkerton and Lucknow Railway		CP	1904	1956	Canadian Pacific Railway
Waterloo Junction Railway		GT	1889	1893	Grand Trunk Railway
Welland Railway		GT	1857	1884^[3]	Grand Trunk Railway	Line leased to Great Western in 1878 and GT in 1882 and sold 1884.
Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway		GT	1864	1893	Grand Trunk Railway
West Ontario Pacific Railway		CP	1885			Still exists as a nonoperating subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Whitby and Port Perry Extension Railway		GT	1874	1877	Whitby, Port Perry and Lindsay Railway
Whitby, Port Perry and Lindsay Railway		GT	1877	1882	Midland Railway of Canada

Electric

• Belleville Traction Company
• Berlin and Bridgeport Electric Street Railway
• Berlin and Northern Railway
• Berlin and Waterloo Street Railway
• Brantford and Hamilton Electric Railway
• Brantford Street Railway
• Buffalo Railway
• Canadian National Electric Railways
• Chatham, Wallaceburg and Lake Erie Railway
• City Railway of Windsor
• City and Suburban Electric Railway
• Cornwall Electric Street Railway
• Cornwall Street Railway, Light and Power Company
• Davenport Street Railway
• Fort William Electric Railway
• Galt and Preston Street Railway
• Galt, Preston and Hespeler Street Railway
• Grand River Railway (GRNR)
• Grand Valley Railway
• Guelph Railway
• Guelph Radial Railway
• Hamilton Cataract Power, Light and Traction Company
• Hamilton and Dundas Street Railway
• Hamilton Electric Light and Cataract Power Company
• Hamilton, Grimsby and Beamsville Electric Railway
• Hamilton Radial Electric Railway
• Hamilton Street Railway
• Hamilton, Waterloo and Guelph Railway
• Huron, Bruce and Grey Electric Railway
• Huron and Ontario Electric Railway (c. 1906 planned and never built)
• Hydro-Electric Railways
• International Railway
• International Transit Company
• Kingston, Portsmouth and Cataraqui Electric Railway
• Kingston Street Railway
• Kitchener and Waterloo Street Railway
• Lake Erie and Northern Railway (LEN)
• Leander Colt Incline
• London and Lake Erie Railway and Transportation Company
• London and Port Stanley Railway (LPS)
• London Street Railway
• Maid of the Mist Incline
• Metropolitan Street Railway
• Metropolitan Street Railway of Toronto
• Middlesex and Elgin Inter-urban Railway
• Mount McKay and Kakabeka Falls Railway
• Niagara Falls, Park and River Railway
• Niagara Falls, Wesley Park and Clifton Tramway Company
• Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway (NS&T)
• Niagara, Welland and Lake Erie Railway
• Nipissing Central Railway
• North Yonge Railways
• Ontario Southern Railway
• Ontario Traction Company
• Ontario West Shore Railway
• Ontario West Shore Electric Railway
• Oshawa Railway
• Ottawa City Passenger Railway
• Ottawa Electric Railway
• Ottawa Electric Street Railway
• Peterboro and Ashburnham Street Railway
• Peterboro Radial Railway
• Port Arthur Civic Company
• Port Arthur Electric Street Railway
• Port Arthur and Fort William Electric Railway
• Port Dalhousie, St. Catharines and Thorold Electric Street Railway
• Port Dover, Brantford, Berlin and Goderich Railway
• Preston and Berlin Railway
• St. Catharines, Merritton and Thorold Railway
• St. Catharines and Niagara Central Railway
• St. Catharines Street Railway
• St. Thomas Street Railway
• Sandwich, Windsor and Amherstburg Railway
• Sandwich and Windsor Passenger Railway
• Sarnia Street Railway
• Schomberg and Aurora Railway
• South Essex Electric Railway
• Southwestern Traction Company
• Sudbury and Copper Cliff Suburban Electric Railway
• Toronto Railway
• Toronto and Mimico Railway
• Toronto and Mimico Electric Railway and Light Company
• Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company
• Toronto Street Railway
• Toronto Suburban Railway
• Toronto Suburban Street Railway
• Toronto and York Radial Railway
• Weston, High Park and Toronto Street Railway
• Whirlpool Rapids Incline
• Windsor, Essex and Lake Shore Rapid Railway (WE&L)
• Windsor and Tecumseh Electric Railway
• Woodstock, Thames Valley and Ingersoll Electric Railway

Private freight carriers

• Rama Timber Transport Company
• Nosbonsing and Nipissing Railway
• Whitney and Opeongo Railway
• Egan Estates Railway
• Orangeville Brampton Railway

Passenger carriers

• Waterloo – St. Jacobs Railway

Never completed

• Ontario and Pacific Junction Railway
• Toronto Eastern Railway

See also

• Rail transport in Ontario
• History of rail transport in Canada
• List of defunct Canadian railways

References

• Index to Railway Legislation (1867–1907)

Notes and References

1. This is one or more of the major systems that the railroad became part of, if any.
2. Brouwer . Joachim . July–August 2018 . Harrisburg: A History of Canada's First Railway Junction and Branch Line Railway . Branchline . 6.
3. https://railwaypages.com/files/305332/26-the-welland-railway-rob-hughes.pdf