Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway

Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway
Reporting mark	CBNS
Locale	Nova Scotia, Canada
Dates of operation	1993–present
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Headquarters	Stellarton, Nova Scotia

CB&CNSR freight train northbound on the Abercrombie spur, 12 Sep. 2003.

CB&CNSR coal train westbound at Havre Boucher, 18 Sep. 2003.

Truro interchange yard between CB&CNSR and CN, 2006.

The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway (reporting mark CBNS) is a 245 miles (394 km) railway operating in Nova Scotia between Sydney and Truro with spurs at Sydney, Point Tupper, Trenton and Stellarton.

The mainline (and related spurs) were formerly owned by Canadian National Railway and were sold to the short line railroad holding company RailTex in October 1993, making CBNS one of Canada's first shortlines to be acquired from a class I railway. On 4 February 2000, RailTex, including CBNS, was purchased by RailAmerica for US$325,000,000.

Route

The CBNS route crosses varied and beautiful scenery ranging from mixed farmland, forests and river valleys formed by the Appalachian Mountains, to the Strait of Canso (it crosses on the Canso Causeway) and various inlets of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On Cape Breton Island, the line runs beside the spectacular Bras d'Or Lake.

CBNS maintains the same two subdivisions over this line as did its previous owner CN:

• Hopewell Subdivision (116.2 miles or 187.0 kilometres) running from Truro, Nova Scotia in the west to Havre Boucher, Nova Scotia in the east. Spurs at Stellarton, Nova Scotia to Abercrombie, Nova Scotia (10 miles or 16 kilometres) and New Glasgow, Nova Scotia to Trenton, Nova Scotia (3 miles or 4.8 kilometres).

• Sydney Subdivision (113.9 miles or 183.3 kilometres) running from Havre Boucher, Nova Scotia in the west to Sydney, Nova Scotia in the east. Spurs at Point Tupper, Nova Scotia (1.2 miles or 1.9 kilometres) and Jefferson, Nova Scotia to Edwardsville, Nova Scotia (2.7 miles or 4.3 kilometres).

Interchanges

The line interchanges with the Sydney Coal Railway (SCR), formerly the Devco Railway, at Sydney, and with CN at Truro. Yards are maintained at Sydney, North Sydney, Point Tupper, Havre Boucher, Stellarton, and Truro.

The railroad's traffic comes mainly from coal, metal products, paper products, chemicals, and limestone. The CBNS hauled around 22,000 car loads in 2008.

Future of the Sydney Subdivision

The eastern section of the railway's main line from Port Hawkesbury to Sydney, the Sydney Subdivision, has undergone a significant decline in traffic since CN sold the entire route to RailTex in 1993.

The first decline occurred in 1997, when CN stopped routing Terra Transport container traffic bound for Newfoundland via the Marine Atlantic ferry service at North Sydney. From 1978-1997, Terra Transport containers were hauled by rail to the North Sydney railway yard where they would be transferred onto truck chassis and placed onboard a ferry destined for Newfoundland. Until the abandonment of CN's rail services in Newfoundland in 1988, they would be transferred onto CN's narrow gauge trains at the ferry terminal in Newfoundland and delivered to destinations across that province. Following railway abandonment in 1988, the containers remained on the truck chassis for delivery by truck. A combination of changes to Marine Atlantic's ferry service, coupled with a desire by CN Rail to increase traffic at the Port of Halifax, saw these containers re-routed to Halifax where they were hauled to Newfoundland by the shipping company OceanEx.

The second decline occurred in late 2001 when a large steel mill and several coal mines were closed by Sydney Steel Corporation and Cape Breton Development Corporation respectively in the Sydney area. This change resulted in the loss of thousands of car loads per year and threatened the financial viability of the line. The railway retains several small industrial customers and wholesalers that create a combined 1,500 car loads per year east of Port Hawkesbury.

At the same time as this major loss in traffic occurred on the Sydney Subdivision, Via Rail Canada was experimenting with operating a once-weekly return trip tourist train from Halifax to Sydney called the Bras d'Or. The financial uncertainty of the Sydney Subdvision saw CBNS apply in 2004 to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board for permission to abandon the section east of St. Peters Junction (several miles east of Port Hawkesbury) in 2005. This resulted in Via's decision to permanently cancel the Bras d'Or at the end of 2004 operating season.

The section of the line east of St. Peters Junction (near Point Tupper, Nova Scotia) to Sydney has the highest maintenance requirements per mile on the entire railway as it includes the longest railway bridge in the province, the Barra Strait Railway Bridge, as well as two large trestles. CBNS has revealed that at least 10,000 car loads per year are required to generate enough revenue to maintain the Sydney Subdivision.

In September 2005, the Government of Nova Scotia announced that it had reached an agreement with the CBNS whereby the government would provide the railway with a $10 million subsidy to keep the rail line from Port Hawkesbury to Sydney open for the next five years, expiring in March 2010. In return, CBNS withdrew its application to the NSUARB for permission to abandon this section of its main line. A one year extension of this subsidy was approved by the government in September 2010 that was retroactive to April 2010. On 3 October 2011, it was announced that the government had agreed to continue the subsidy for three more years, allowing RailAmerica access to $2 million over the timespan of the deal.

Freight service for this section of the main line is currently provided by a small twice-weekly freight train that operates as a round trip between Sydney and Port Hawkesbury. Freight service west of Port Hawkesbury to the CN interchange at Truro is operated six times per week.

In 2008, the holding company RailAmerica which is the corporate owner of CBNS encountered significant financial pressure from its corporate owner Fortress Investments. This saw CBNS dramatically increase the rates it charged to individuals and companies accessing railway property (e.g. driveways, storage, etc.). The resulting backlash saw the provincial government under Premier Rodney MacDonald and his successor Darrell Dexter attempt to negotiate a means to regulate such rates.

Accidents

The CBNS has experienced two major derailments since taking over operation of the Truro - Sydney railway line from CN in 1993:

• On April 18, 2004, westbound freight train 301-18 derailed ten cars at mile 51.7 of the Hopewell Subdivision near Linacy, Nova Scotia at approximately 23h35 ADT. Nine of the ten derailed cars were loaded with liquified petroleum gas (propane). No individuals were injured, however, two schools and two residences were forced to evacuate for nine days while cleanup operations took place. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigated and determined that the train had been operated safely and that no mechanical defects existed in the locomotives or consist. The investigation determined that the derailment occurred as a result of a track issue; the slower freight train had been operating along a curve that was super-elevated. This type of track configuration dated to the high speed requirements of the Via Rail Canada "Dayliner" passenger trains which were canceled on January 15, 1990. The heavy weight of the slower freight train forced the lower track on the inside of the curve to collapse.

• On June 13, 2010, a westbound freight train derailed sixteen cars on the Hopewell Subdivision in Avondale Station, Nova Scotia. Six of the sixteen derailed cars were loaded with liquified petroleum gas (propane). No individuals were injured, however, several residences were forced to evacuate for multiple days while cleanup operations took place. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is currently investigating. A CBNS official was quoted in local media as stating that a preliminary finding had determined that a defect in a non-CBNS freight car was thought to have caused the derailment. A subsequent minor derailment in Stellarton, Nova Scotia the following week where two freight cars left the tracks during a yard switching operation created a minor media sensation.

The June 2010 derailment on the Hopewell Subdivision (western section of the railway) coincided with a controversial debate throughout the summer of 2010 on whether the provincial government would extend the five-year subsidy agreement that was tied to maintaining the Sydney Subdivision (eastern section of the railway) where traffic had declined below sustainable levels. A site visit to view track conditions on the Hopewell Subdivision in Pictou County by Nova Scotia's Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Bill Estabrooks in September 2010 revealed several track defects. Mr. Estabrooks stated that such track defects could cause the railroad to lose its operating license from the provincial government, however, CBNS owner RailAmerica downplayed the issue by explaining that such defects on the Hopewell Subdivision were minor and the railroad was safe.

External links

• Track diagram, Havre Boucher yard
• Main line track profile 25-36, West Bay Road to River Denys (includes the ruling grade westbound)
• Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway - RailAmerica website
• CN description of partner shortline - CBNS