Discontinuance is the interruption of railway service on a line that is no longer profitable to operate.

The discontinuance of all rail lines is regulated by the Canada Transportation Act in Canada and the Surface Transportation Board in the United States, which outlines the steps a railroad must follow before it may formally discontinue a line.

Since 1992, CN has discontinued operations on approximately 2,650 miles of track.

Typically, the rail and ties are removed immediately following discontinuance, while culverts and bridges and ballast rail bed is left in place. Approximately 290 of the 2,650 miles of discontinued line have slag ballast rail beds. The rail beds do not generally pose any environmental risk, although there has been heightened public concern over slag ballast rail beds. Studies commissioned by Environment Canada on a section of discontinued line where slag material was used, however, have demonstrated that the heightened concern may be unwarranted. In some specific discontinuances, on-going environmental management of the rail bed and culverts may be required.

Algonquin Provincial Park Rail Line Discontinuance

In 2008, Algonquin Eco Watch, an environmental protection organization, submitted a shareholder proposal requesting that CN immediately release to shareholders the complete findings of all environmental studies that CN had commissioned relating to the 1995 discontinuance of the 126-mile Beachburg subdivision through Algonquin Provincial Park.

The environmental studies were prepared in strict confidence at the request of CN's counsel for the Company's internal use, and are not available to the public. These studies have assisted the Company in its discussion with the Ontario Ministry of Environment, the regulatory body responsible for overseeing CN's environmental management activities within Algonquin Park.

CN's Board of Directors recommended voting against the proposal and the Algonquin Eco Watch shareholder proposal was defeated, with approximately 90% of shareholders voting against the proposal.

CN has subsequently met with Algonquin Eco Watch to provide additional information on CN's environmental management activities in Algonquin Park. Click here for more information on CN's response to environmental concerns related to the Beachburg subdivision.

At the invitation of the Ontario Ministry of Environment, CN attended a meeting with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and members of Algonquin Eco Watch in late November 2008 to provide an overview of the status of CN's environmental management activities relating to the former Beachburg Subdivision.

• Click here to see a copy of the presentation given at this meeting.

In June 2009 and April 2010, CN met again with Algonquin Eco Watch.  The purpose of the meetings was to review the work activities from the previous year, related to the on-going environmental management of the former Beachburg Subdivision.  In addition, CN presented its work plan for the coming year. 

• Click here to see a copy of the June 2009 presentation.
• Click here to see a copy of the April 2010 presentation.

Giving old lines new life

Recognizing that discontinued rail lines may still have a purpose for the general public, CN makes every effort to identify secondary uses for those corridors. As an example, some of the former rail lines are now being used for a variety of recreational activities, including forming sections of the Trans Canada Trail. In other instances, it may be more suitable to use the former rail lines as public transportation corridors. Read more about secondary uses.