By Alice McFarlane

A new campaign will create awareness of Prairie short line railways

Dec 15, 2022 | 2:46 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – The Western Canadian Short Line Railway Association will get government funding to promote the work they do.

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) will provide $506,800 to the Short Line Railway Marketing Program to increase awareness and understanding of the short line sector and promote industrial and value-added agriculture business development.

Association president Andrew Glastetter of Assiniboia, Sask. said the money will cover about 50 per cent of the funding needed for the project over a three-year period.

There are 26 short line railways in Western Canada; 13 in Saskatchewan, five each in BC and Manitoba, and three in Alberta. Short line railways are operated by municipalities, private business and co-ops who purchased abandoned CP and CN lines over the past 25 years.

Glastetter said short lines provide a valuable service to rural areas.

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“Short line railways, over the many years, have proven to be an important part of the overall supply chain in Western Canada,” Glastetter said. “We originate and terminate the first mile and last mile of many freight operations and 60,000 freight carloads per year.”

The funding will used to create a better understanding of how short lines can benefit shippers looking to set up or expand operations in the west, according to Glastetter.

“One thing the short lines have not been good at is ‘tooting their own horn’ to communicate and educate the public and potential shippers on how reliable we are, how much we can contribute to the environment, local employment and service and efficiency to get products to market,” he said.

Glastetter said because of its energy efficiency, short lines have been identified as an important ally in provincial carbon emissions reduction plans.

“Anytime you can move something by rail versus moving by heavy truck, whether it’s grain or crude oil, rail is three times more fuel efficient so there is less of a carbon footprint, less greenhouse gas emissions, less damage to the road network and less tax dollars for maintaining roads,” he said.

Some of the projects include creating a brand for the organization, website redevelopment for the Western Canadian Short Line Railway Association, business development and marketing capacity building workshops for participating short line railways, print and digital marketing campaigns, and stakeholder networking to promote business development in rural, short line rail-served communities.

The association represents Big Sky Rail, Battle River Rail, Oyen Regional Railway, Carlton Trail Railway, Great Sandhills Railway, Fife Lake Railway, Great Western Railway, Hudson Bay Railway, Last Mountain Rail, Long Creek Railroad, Red Coat Road and Rail, Southern Rail Cooperative, Stewart Southern Railway, Thunder Rail, Torch River Rail, Northern Lights Railway, Wheatland Rail, and 40 Mile Rail.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW