Hudson Bay Railway (1997)

Hudson Bay Railway

HBRY in black and KR in grey
Reporting mark	HBRY
Locale	northern Manitoba
Dates of operation	1997–
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Headquarters	The Pas, Manitoba
Website	Hudson Bay Railway

Hudson Bay Railway (reporting mark HBRY) is a Canadian short line railway operating over 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) of track in northeastern Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba.

HBRY was formed by railroad holding company OmniTRAX in July 1997 to purchase former Canadian National Railway (CN) rail lines running north from The Pas, MB on two branches, one to Flin Flon, MB and on to Lynn Lake, MB, the other to Thompson, MB and on to the Port of Churchill on Hudson Bay. Operations began on August 20, 1997.

At the same time, OmniTRAX also took over the operation and marketing of the Port of Churchill from Transport Canada. Previous owner CN had limited the allowable tonnage to operate on the lines as a result of the light rail and poor track base. However, the HBRY has been able to successfully operate heavier rail cars and longer trains in recent years without difficulty, resulting in increased business to the Port of Churchill and from various mines and pulp mills.

HBRY is considered a vital transportation link in northern Manitoba, hauling ores and concentrates, copper, zinc, logs, kraft paper, lumber, and petroleum products. Via Rail Canada also uses HBRY tracks to operate its passenger train service between The Pas and Churchill.

Major customers for HBRY include HudBay Minerals, Tolko, Vale, Gardwine North, Stittco Energy, Farmers of North America, and formerly, the Canadian Wheat Board.