Barrie Collingwood Railway
| Reporting mark | CCGX |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1998–Present |
| Predecessor | Canadian National Railway |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
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The Barrie-Collingwood Railway (reporting mark CCGX) is a shortline railway operating between the towns of Innisfil and Utopia in south central Ontario, Canada. The line was started in 1998 and runs on abandoned Canadian National (CN) trackage which was collectively purchased by the railway's namesake municipalities. The operator of the line is Cando Rail Services Limited, based out of Brandon, Manitoba.
In 1996, CN abandoned its Newmarket Subdivision from Barrie, Ontario to Washago, as well as its entire Meaford Subdivision which runs from Barrie to Collingwood (both parts of the former Northern Railway of Canada). CN had plans to rip up its tracks, however the City of Barrie and the Town of Collingwood stepped in to purchase the lines to maintain their rail infrastructures. Barrie purchased the remainder of the Newmarket Subdivision, the Meaford Subdivision from Barrie to Utopia in Essa Township and the remainder of the abandoned Beeton Subdivision (originally the Hamilton and North-Western Railway) which runs south from Barrie to Innisfil and connects with the other two subs at the site of the former Allandale Yard in Barrie. Collingwood purchased the rest of the Meaford Sub from Utopia westward.
In 1998, the BCRY was created to service various customers in Innisfil, Barrie, Colwell, Angus, Stayner and Collingwood along the Beeton and Meaford Subdivisions. The line crosses the Canadian Pacific (CP) Mactier Subdivision at Utopia, where a small interchange yard was subsequently built. This was necessary as the abandonment of the Newmarket Subdivision north and south of Barrie effectively isolated the line from the North American rail network. The yard is also where Maintenance Of Way (MOW) equipment and the locomotive is stored when not in use. Transloading facilities are also located here for customers not directly rail served. The yard has a storage capacity of 60 cars. The Newmarket Subdivision is not used by the BCRY; it was purchased to preserve future GO Transit expansion north from Bradford, which re-opened in late 2007. It has since been sold to Metrolinx, the operators of GO Transit.
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