Mackenzie Northern Railway
| Reporting mark | RLGN |
|---|---|
| Locale | Alberta, Northwest Territories |
| Dates of operation | 1964–present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Headquarters | Peace River, Alberta |
The Mackenzie Northern Railway (reporting mark RLGN) is a 602-mile (969 km) Canadian railway operating in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. It is the northernmost trackage of the contiguous North American railway network. Since being purchased by CN in 2006, it has been officially known as the Meander Subdivision.
The majority of the tracks which the Mackenzie Northern Railway uses were built by the federal government as the Great Slave Lake Railway, running from a point on the Northern Alberta Railways at Grimshaw, Alberta to the southern shores of Great Slave Lake at Hay River, Northwest Territories. The undertaking started in 1961 with a proposal to Parliament, and the line opened in 1964. This railroad was part of Lester B. Pearson's vision for the north, and would facilitate shipment of lead-zinc ore from the Pine Point Mine.
The Great Slave Railway's operation was entrusted to Canadian National Railway in 1966, which had been operating the line on behalf of the federal government since it opened. A spur line continued east from Hay River along the south shore of Great Slave Lake to the mine at Pine Point. This section was abandoned in 1988 after the mine closed and ore concentrate shipments ceased. The total mileage in the Northwest Territories from the border with Alberta to Hay River is approximately 80 miles (130 km).
In 1981, CN purchased the other half of the Northern Alberta Railways from Canadian Pacific Railway, allowing CN to operate continuously from Edmonton to Hay River.
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