View source for List of defunct Canadian railways

{{Short description|none}}
Most transportation historians date the history of Canada's railways as beginning on February 25, 1832, with the incorporation of [[British North America]]'s first steam-powered railway, the [[Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad]] (C&SL). This line opened for traffic on July 21, 1836, although there are cases of animal-drawn mining tramways in [[Nova Scotia]] from the 18th century onward.

Thousands of railways followed the C&SL and were given a charter by the federal or provincial governments, although in most cases these charters never resulted in an actual line being constructed.  Many of these charters were so-called "paper railways" and were absorbed into other railways, that is they existed on paper with the actual trains bearing the name of another railway or system of railways.  For example, [[Canadian National Railways]] alone consisted of over some 400 railways (see [[List of Canadian National Railways companies]]).

The reason for these "paper" railways was the ease of getting a charter. This was often done by a major railway such as [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] or [[Grand Trunk Railway]], but the true interests were kept hidden to keep attention away from the efforts of competing major railways to gain access to another's territory. In other instances local interests wanted a railway to connect their community with the main line of a major railway that did not enter their town, or to connect to another major railway for competitive reasons, to get lower freight rates, something that remains to this day. In many cases these local efforts were quickly taken over by a major railway to both expand its own network and to deny its competition access to traffic.

Streetcar and interurban railways were chartered provincially, in the case of [[Ontario]] under the ''Street Railway Act''.

Railways that were not [[common carrier]]s did not require a charter under the ''Railway Act'' since they were used primarily for the owners' own purposes, mainly logging and mining.

American railroads always operated in Canada under charters of subsidiary railways even though most had equipment lettered only for the parent company. Most U.S. railroads also operated in Canada through subsidiary railways with one exception: [[Wabash Railway]] which had not a mile of track in Canada as it crossed southern Ontario using trackage rights granted by the [[Grand Trunk Railway]] of Canada. These rights still exist with present-day Canadian National and [[Norfolk Southern]], which runs into Windsor and Sarnia, Ontario. It formerly ran through Montreal, Quebec, but service was stopped due to such services causing traffic [[Traffic congestion|congestion]].

This list of defunct railways includes only those railways that actually came into existence. Many were taken over by other railways or had a name change and thus continued to operate trains over the same tracks. A few ceased to exist because they went out of business and were abandoned and dismantled.

For simplicity on this list, [[Canadian National Railways]] (CNR) (pre-1960), [[Canadian National Railway]] (CN) (post-1960), [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] (CPR), [[Grand Trunk Railway]] (GTR), and [[Canadian Northern Railway]] (CNoR) will be abbreviated for notations.  Others will be abbreviated as required.

Also consult the [[List of Canadian railways|list of active Canadian railways]].

{{compact ToC|side=yes|top=yes|num=yes}}
{{inc-transport|date=August 2008}}

==A==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[North Western Coal and Navigation Company|Alberta Railway and Navigation Company]] || Lethbridge, Alberta to Great Falls, Montana || 1889–1912 || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Alberta and Great Waterways Railway]] || Alberta, British Columbia || 1929–1981 || Acquired by [[Northern Alberta Railways|NAR]].
|-
| [[Albion Mines Railway]] || Pictou County, Nova Scotia || 1829–c.1890 || First railway and first use of metal rails in British North America; horse-drawn until 1838. Abandoned.
|-
| [[Algoma Central Railway]] || [[Algoma District|Algoma]] and [[Cochrane District]]s, [[Northeastern Ontario]] || 1899–1995 || Acquired by [[Wisconsin Central Transportation|WC]].
|-
| [[Algoma Eastern Railway]] || [[Algoma District|Algoma]] and [[Sudbury District]]s, Northeastern Ontario || 1911–1930 || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]] on July 14, 1931 by 999-year lease.
|-
| [[Alma and Jonquières Railway]] || Herbertville, Quebec and Lake St. John to a point between Grand Decharge and Petite Decharge and from St. Joseph d'Alma to Jonquière || 1912–1937 || Merged into [[Roberval and Saguenay Railway|RS]].
|-
|[[Athabasca Northern Railway]] || Alberta || 2000–2007 || Reacquired by CN.
|-
| [[Atlantic and North-West Railway]] || southeastern Quebec, central Maine ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Quebec Atlantic Oriental Railway|Atlantic, Quebec and Western Railway]] || Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec || 1907–1923 || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|}

==B==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Bay of Quinte Railway]] || southeastern Ontario || 1897–1910 || Acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Berlin and Waterloo Street Railway]] || Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario || 1889–1919 || Continued operations and renamed to [[Kitchener and Waterloo Street Railway]].
|-
| [[Botwood Railway]] || central Newfoundland || 1908-1956 ||  Subsidiary of [[Anglo Newfoundland Development Company|AND]].  Sold to become [[Grand Falls Central Railway|GFC]].
|-
| [[Brantford, Hamilton and Western Railway]] ||  ||  ||
|-
| [[British Columbia Electric Railway]] ||  ||  || Owned by [[BC Hydro|BCH]].  Sold to become [[Southern Railway of British Columbia|SRY]].
|-
| [[British Columbia Railway]] || British Columbia || 1972–2004 || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railway|CN]].
|-
| [[Brockville and Ottawa Railway]] || eastern Ontario ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Brockville, Westport and North-Western Railway]] || eastern Ontario  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Bruce Mines and Algoma Railway]] ||  ||  ||
|-
| [[Buchans Railway]] || central Newfoundland ||  || Owned by [[ASARCO]].  Abandoned.
|-
| [[Buctouche and Moncton Railway]] || southeastern New Brunswick ||  ||  Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Burlington Northern Manitoba Limited]] || central Manitoba || 1971–1999 || Subsidiary of [[Burlington Northern Railroad|BN]].  Renamed to [[Burlington Northern Santa Fe Manitoba|BNSFM]].
|-
| [[Bytown and Prescott Railway]] || eastern Ontario || 1854–1884 || Leased by CPR for 999 years. Abandoned in 1995.
|}

==C==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Canada and Gulf Terminal Railway]] || eastern Quebec || ?-1975 || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railway|CN]].
|-
| [[Calgary and Edmonton Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Campbellford, Lake Ontario and Western Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Canada Air Line Railway]] ||  ||  || Subsidiary of [[Great Western Railway (Ontario)|GWR]].
|-
| [[Canada Atlantic Railway]] || central, eastern Ontario, western Quebec || 1890–1914 || Acquired by [[Grand Trunk Railway|GTR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Atlantic Railway]] || Quebec via Maine to New Brunswick || 1988–1994 || Part of [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]] mainline east of [[Lac-Mégantic, Quebec|Lac-Mégantic]], divested 1994 as Canadian American Railroad (bankrupt 2001) <br /> and later MM&A (bankrupt 2013). Portion east of Brownville is Irving's [[New Brunswick Southern Railway]]. 
|-
| [[Canadian American Railroad]] || Quebec to Maine || 1994–2002 || [[Iron Road Railways]] segment of CP's former Canadian Atlantic Railway <br />  from [[Lennoxville, Quebec|Lennoxville]] to [[Brownville, Maine]], bankrupt 2001.
|-
| [[Canadian Pacific]] || British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec || 1881–2023 || Acquired and Merged with the [[Kansas City Southern Railroad]] to form [[CPKC]].
|-
| [[Canada Central Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific]].
|-
| [[Canada Coal and Railroad Company]] || northwestern Nova Scotia || 1905–1906 || Sold to become [[Maritime Coal Railway and Power Company|MCR&PC]].
|-
| [[Canada Coals and Railway Company]] || northwestern Nova Scotia || 1892–1905 || Sold to become [[Canada Coal and Railroad Company|CC&RC]].
|-
| [[Canada Southern Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Michigan Central Railroad|MCRR]], later [[New York Central Railroad|NYC]].  Sold to [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]] and [[Canadian National Railway|CN]].  Abandoned.
|-
| [[Canadian Atlantic Railway]] || eastern Quebec, Maine, western New Brunswick, western Nova Scotia || 1988–1994 || [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]] subsidiary created to operate lines east of Montreal including [[Dominion Atlantic Railway|DAR]]. <br /> Portions abandoned or sold by 1994 to [[New Brunswick Southern Railway|NBSR]], [[Eastern Maine Railway (1995)|EMR]], [[Canadian American Railroad|CDAC]], and [[Windsor and Hantsport Railway|WHRC]].
|-
| [[Canadian Government Railways]] || Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba || 1915–1918 || Entrusted to [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].  Corporate entity sold to [[Canadian National Railway|CN]] in 1993 for $1.
|-
| [[Canadian National Electric Railways]] ||  ||  || Division of [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Pacific Electric Lines]] ||  ||  || Division of [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Northern Railway]] || Nova Scotia, Quebec to British Columbia || 1899–1918 || Nationalized into [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Northern Alberta Railway]] ||  ||  || Constituent company of [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Northern Branchlines Company]] ||  ||  || Constituent company of [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Northern Consolidated Railways]] ||  ||  || Constituent company of [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Northern Manitoba Railway]] ||  ||  || Constituent company of [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Northern Montreal Tunnel and Terminal Company]] ||  ||  || Constituent company of [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Northern Ontario Railway]] ||  ||  || Constituent company of [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Northern Pacific Railway]] ||  ||  || Constituent company of [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Northern Quebec Railway]] ||  ||  || Constituent company of [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Northern Saskatchewan Railway]] ||  ||  || Constituent company of [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Canadian Northern Western Railway]] ||  ||  || Constituent company of [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Cape Breton Development Corporation Railway]] ||  ||  || Sold to [[Sydney Coal Railway|SCR]].
|-
| [[Cape Breton Railway]] || || ||
|-
| [[Cape Breton Eastern Extension Railway]] || Stellarton to Sydney, NS  || 1890 || Constituent part of [[Intercolonial Railway|IRC]]
|-
| [[Caraquet Railway]] || northeastern New Brunswick ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Central Canada Railway]] ||  ||  ||
|-
|[[Central Maine and Quebec Railway]]
|Quebec, Maine, Vermont
|2014-2020
|Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway]]
|-
| [[Central Ontario Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Central Railway of New Brunswick]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Central Vermont Railway]] ||  ||  || Also a defunct U.S. railroad.  Subsidiary of [[Grand Trunk Railway|GTR]], later [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].  Became [[New England Central Railroad|NECR]].
|-
| [[Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad]] || southwestern Quebec || 1836–1857 || First common carrier railway in British North America.  Acquired by [[Montreal and Champlain Railroad|M&CR]].
|-
| [[Chatham, Wallaceburg and Lake Erie Railway]] ||  ||  || Interurban railway.
|-
| [[Columbia and Kootenay Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Columbia and Western Railway]] ||  ||  ||  Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Cornwallis Valley Railway]] || Kentville to Kingsport, NS || 1890-1892 || Acquired by [[Windsor and Annapolis Railway|W&AR]].
|-
| [[Credit Valley Railway]] || Toronto to St. Thomas, ON  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Cumberland Railway and Coal Company]] || Springhill Junction to Parrsboro, NS || 1883-1962 || Abandoned.
|}

==D==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Detroit River Tunnel Company]] ||  ||  || Subsidiary of [[Canada Southern Railway|CASO]]/[[Michigan Central Railroad|MCRR]].
|-
| [[Devco Railway]] ||Cape Breton, NS  || 1968-2001 || Former DOSCO coal hauler, assets acquired by [[Sydney Coal Railway]]
|-
| [[Dominion Atlantic Railway]] || western Nova Scotia || 1894–1994 || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]] in 1912, after 1988 was operated as part of [[Canadian Atlantic Railway|CAR]].  Sold to become [[Windsor and Hantsport Railway|WHRC]].
|-
| [[Dominion Coal Company]] || || ||
|-
| [[Dominion Timber and Minerals Railway]] || Laurentian Mountains (Western Quebec) Kilmar, Black Lake, Lachute, Marlean || 1916-1981 || Subsidiary of [[Canadian Refractories Limited|CRL]].
|-
| [[Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway]] || Minnesota to Winnipeg Manitoba / Port Arthur ON||  || Originally a [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]] railway by the name of Duluth, Rainy Lake and Winnipeg Railway. Now a subsidiary of [[Canadian National Railway|CN]] - by way of [[Grand Trunk Corporation|GT]] and then merged with [[Wisconsin Central Ltd.|WC (both are CN companies)]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/freight/cn-merges-three-us-subsidiaries/36559.article | title=CN merges three US subsidiaries }}</ref>
|}

==E==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Northern Alberta Railways|NAR]].
|-
| [[Edmonton Yukon and Pacific Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Elgin and Havelock Railway]] || central New Brunswick ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Government Railways|CGR]].
|-
| [[Erie and Ontario Railway]]|| ||  || Acquired by [[Canada Southern Railway|CASO]].
|-
| [[Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].  Sold 2006 to become Southern Railway of Vancouver Island.
|-
| [[European and North American Railway]] || southern New Brunswick || 1857–1872 || Eastern extension merged into [[Intercolonial Railway of Canada|IRC]].  Western extension became part of [[New Brunswick Railway|NBR]].
|-
| [[Englewood Railway]] || Northern Vancouver Island || 1917-2017 || Sold to Western Forest Products 2006.
|}

==F==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Fredericton and Grand Lake Railway]] || central and western New Brunswick || || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|}

==G==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Galt and Preston Street Railway]] || Cambridge, Ontario || 1894–1908 || Renamed the Galt, Preston, and Hespeler Street Railway after Hespeler line was built.
|-
| [[Galt, Preston and Hespeler Street Railway]] || Cambridge, Ontario || 1894–1908 || Merged into the [[Berlin, Waterloo, Wellesley, and Lake Huron Railway]].
|-
| [[Georgian Bay and Seaboard Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Glengarry and Stormont Railway]] ||  ||  ||
|-
| [[Grand Falls Central Railway]] || central Newfoundland || 1956–1977 || Abandoned.
|-
| [[Grand River Railway]] || Waterloo Region, Ontario || 1914–1931 || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]], merged into [[Canadian Pacific Electric Lines|CPEL]].
|-
| [[Grand Trunk Pacific Railway]] || Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia || 1914–1920 || Nationalized into [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Grand Trunk Railway]] || Ontario, Quebec, New England || 1852–1923 || Nationalized into [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Great North West Central Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)]] ||  ||  || A trans U.S. railway that had a railway in the BC Fraser Valley competing with CP for the natural resources.
|-
| Great Northern Railway of Canada<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hinshelwood|first1=N. M.|title=Amidst the Laurentians|date=1902|publisher=The Herald Press|location=Montréal, Canada|url=https://archive.org/details/amidstlaurentian00hins|accessdate=2016-11-21}}</ref> ||  || 1892-1907 ||  between [[Rivière-à-Pierre, Quebec]], and [[Hawkesbury, Ontario]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.canada-rail.com/ontario/railways/GNR.html | title=Great Northern Railway of Canada }}</ref>
|-
| [[Great Western Railway (Ontario)|Great Western Railway]] || southwestern Ontario || 1853–1884 || Acquired by [[Grand Trunk Railway|GTR]]
|-
| [[Guelph and Goderich Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
|[[Gunflint and Lake Superior Railroad]]
|Lakehead Region (Ontario and Minnesota)
|1902–1909
|
|}

==H==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Halifax and South Western Railway]] || southwestern Nova Scotia || 1901–1918 || Merged into [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]], nationalized by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Nova Scotia Light and Power|Halifax City Railroad]] || Halifax, Nova Scotia || 1866-1876 || Horse-drawn operations; assets acquired by [[Nova Scotia Light and Power|Halifax Street Railway Company]], 1886.
|-
| [[Nova Scotia Light and Power|Halifax Electric Tramway]] || Halifax, Nova Scotia || 1895-1917 || Acquired by [[Nova Scotia Light and Power|Nova Scotia Tramways and Power Company, Limited]] in 1917.
|-
| [[Nova Scotia Light and Power|Halifax Street Railway]] || Halifax, Nova Scotia || 1886-1895 || Became [[Nova Scotia Light and Power|Nova Scotia Power Company]] in 1889.
|-
| [[Hamilton, Grimsby and Beamsville Electric Railway]] || Hamilton-Niagara Peninsula, Ontario || 1894 - 1931 || interurban railway. ||
|-
| [[Hamilton and North-Western Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Grand Trunk Railway|GTR]].
|-
| [[Hamilton Radial Electric Railway]] ||  ||  ||
|-
| [[Harpoon Logging Railway]] || central Newfoundland ||  ||
|-
| [[Hudson Bay Railway (1910)|Hudson Bay Railway]] ||  ||  || Charter acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]], subsequently built by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway]]  ||  ||  || Portage railway.
|}

==I==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Inverness Railway and Coal Company]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Intercolonial Railway of Canada]] || Quebec City to Halifax  || 1872-1918 || Operated by [[Canadian Government Railways|CGR]], entrusted to [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[International Railway (Canada)|International Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Irondale, Bancroft and Ottawa Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|}

==J==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Joggins Railway]] || northwestern Nova Scotia || 1883–1892 || Sold to become [[Canada Coals and Railway Company|CC&RC]].
|}

==K==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Kaslo and Slocan Railway]] || Kaslo BC to Slocan BC, Central Kootenay Region || 1895-1955  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Kelowna Pacific Railway]] || Okanagan Valley, British Columbia  || 1999 - 2013 || Entered receivership July 2013. [[Canadian National Railway|CN]] once again operates a portion of the line. The Vernon to Kelowna portion is under abandonment procedures.
|-
| [[Kettle Valley Railway]] || Midway BC to Hope BC, Southern Interior Route || 1915–1961, all except Penticton area until 1989 || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Kingston and Pembroke Railway]] || [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]] to [[Renfrew, Ontario|Renfrew]] ||1884-1913  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]], dismantled 1950s.
|-
| [[Kitchener and Waterloo Street Railway]] || Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario || 1919–1927 || Continuation of [[Berlin and Waterloo Street Railway]]. Taken over and municipalized by the City of Kitchener under its [[Kitchener Public Utilities Commission|Public Utilities Commission]].
|}

==L==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Lake Champlain and St. Lawrence Junction Railway]] || [[Richelieu River]] valley of southeastern [[Quebec]] || 1879–1880 || Leased to the [[South Eastern Railway (Quebec)|South Eastern Railway]] 1880.  Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]] 1887.
|-
| [[Lake Erie and Detroit Railway]] ||  ||  || Subsidiary of [[Pere Marquette Railroad|PM]], later [[Chesapeake and Ohio Railway|C&O]].  Abandoned.
|-
| [[Lake Erie and Northern Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]], merged into [[Canadian Pacific Electric Lines|CPEL]].
|-
| [[Lake Manitoba Railway and Canal Company]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Laurentian Railway]] ||  ||  || [[:fr:Quebec and Lake St-John Railway|Lower Laurentian]] acquired by Great Northern of Canada, later by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Lindsay, Bobcaygeon and Pontypool Railway]] ||  ||  ||  Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]] by 999-year lease.
|-
| [[London and Lake Erie Railway and Transportation Company]] ||Southwestern Ontario  || 1909–1918  || Abandoned - Formerly [[London and Lake Erie Railway and Transportation Company|South Western Traction Company]].
|-
| [[London and Port Stanley Railway]] || southwestern Ontario || 1853–1965 || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railway|CN]].
|-
| [[Lotbinière and Megantic Railway]] || Saint-Jean-Deschaillons, Sainte-Philomène and Lyster (Mégantic) || 1889-1909 || Merged to Quebec Railway, Light, Heat and Power Co (QRLHP),<ref>{{cite web | url=http://bilan.usherbrooke.ca/bilan/pages/evenements/143.html | title=Bilan du siècle - Création de la Quebec Railway, Light, Heat and Power Co }}</ref> acquired by [[Canadian Government Railways|CGR]].
|}

==M==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Maine Central Railroad]] || southwestern New Brunswick ||  ||  Sold and renamed [[Guilford Rail System|GRS]]/[[Springfield Terminal Railroad|ST]].
|-
| [[Manitoba Great Northern Railway]] ||  ||  || Subsidiary of [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|GN]].
|-
| [[Manitoba and North Western Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Manitoulin and North Shore Railway]] || Northeastern Ontario || || Reorganized as Algoma Eastern Railway, subsequently largely abandoned.
|-
| [[Maritime Coal Railway and Power Company]] || northwestern Nova Scotia || 1906–1961 || Abandoned.
|-
| [[Massawippi Valley Railway]] || [[Eastern Townships]] of Quebec || 1870-1990 || Leased by [[Quebec Central Railway]] (CPR) 1926–1990, abandoned, tracks removed 1992.
|-
| Mattagami Railroad || Northeastern Ontario || 1927-1998 || Acquired by [[Ontario Northland Railway|Ontario Northland]]
|-
| [[Metropolitan Electric Railway]] ||  ||  ||
|-
| [[Michigan Central Railroad]] ||  ||  || Operated in Canada as [[Canada Southern Railway|CASO]].
|-
| [[Midland Railway of Canada]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Grand Trunk Railway|GTR]].
|-
| [[Midland Railway (Canada)]] || [[Hants County]] NS  || 1901-1905 || Acquired by [[Dominion Atlantic Railway|DAR]].
|-
| [[Midland Railway of Manitoba]] ||  ||  || Subsidiary of [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|GN]]; became [[Burlington Northern Railroad|Burlington Northern]] Manitoba Ltd. in 1971, now [[Burlington Northern Santa Fe Manitoba]].
|-
| [[Millertown Railway]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gfwheritagesociety.ca/media-library/photo-library/woods-department-millertown-harpoon-railway-september-1956/|title=Millertown Railway photo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/nfld/millertown.htm|title=Old Time Trains|website=www.trainweb.org}}</ref> ||  ||  || Subsidiary of [[Anglo Newfoundland Development Company|AND]].  Abandoned.
|-
| [[Montreal and Champlain Railroad]] ||  || 1857–1872 || Acquired by [[Grand Trunk Railway|GTR]].
|-
| [[Montreal and Ottawa Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]]. CP operates to Rigaud, line from Rigaud to Ottawa abandoned and sold to Via Rail.
|-
| [[Montreal and Vermont Junction Railway]] || || || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway]] ||[[Farnham, Quebec]]/[[Brownville, Maine]] ||2003-2013 || Sold in [[Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act|bankruptcy]] to Fortress Investments as [[Central Maine and Quebec Railway]]
|-
| [[Montreal Tramways Company]] || || ||
|-
| [[Montreal Suburban Tramway and Power]]  ||  ||  || Owned [[Dominion Park]]
|-
| [[Morrissey Fernie and Michel Railway]] || || || Subsidiary of [[Crowsnest Pass Coal Company|CPCC]].
|}

==N==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Nakusp and Slocan Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Napierville Junction Railway]] ||Rouses Point, NY to Delson Jct. QC ||  ||  Subsidiary of [[Delaware and Hudson Railway|DH]].
|-
| [[National Transcontinental Railway]] || Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick || 1912–1918 || Operated by [[Canadian Government Railways|CGR]], entrusted to [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway]] || Troup BC to Ft Sheppard BC  || 1893-1993 || Acquired by [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|GN]] Fruitvale to US border still in use for Atco Forest Products.
|-
| [[New Brunswick Coal and Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Government Railways|CGR]].
|-
| [[New Brunswick Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[New Westminster Southern Railway Company]] ||  ||  || Subsidiary of [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|GN]].
|-
| [[Newfoundland Railway]] || Newfoundland || 1892–1949 || Entrusted to [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Newfoundland and Northwestern Railway]] || Newfoundland ||  || Acquired by [[Newfoundland Railway|NR]].
|-
| [[Niagara Falls Park and River Railway]] ||  ||  ||
|-
| [[Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]], merged into [[Canadian National Electric Lines|CNEL]].
|-
| [[Nicola, Kamloops and Similkameen Coal and Railway Company]] || Spences Bridge BC to Nicola BC || 1907–1989 || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[North Shore Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Northern Alberta Railways]] || northern Alberta || 1929–1981 || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway]] ||  ||  || Subsidiary of [[Northern Pacific Railway|NP]].
|-
| [[Northern Railway of Canada]] ||  ||  ||  Acquired by [[Grand Trunk Railway|GTR]].
|-
| [[Nosbonsing & Nipissing Railway]] ||  ||  ||  Abandoned.
|-
| [[Nova Scotia Central Railway]] ||  ||  ||  Acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Nova Scotia Southern Railway]] ||  ||  ||  Acquired by [[Halifax and South Western Railway|H&SW]]
|-
| [[Nova Scotia Railway]] || central Nova Scotia || 1853–1867 || Merged into [[Intercolonial Railway|IRC]].
|-
| [[Nova Scotia Light and Power|Nova Scotia Tramways and Power]] || Halifax, Nova Scotia || 1917-1928 || Became [[Nova Scotia Light and Power]] Company, Limited, 1928
|-
| [[Nova Scotia Light and Power]] || Halifax, Nova Scotia || 1928-1949 || Rail operations ceased 1949; converted to electric trolley coaches
|}

==O==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
|[[Orangeville Brampton Railway]]
|Orangeville To Brampton, Ontario
|2000-2021
|
|-
| [[Okanagan Valley Railway]] || Okanagan Valley, British Columbia || 1998 - 2009 || Shut down due to lack of business.
|-
| [[Ontario and Quebec Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Ontario and Rainy River Railway]] || Rainy River, Ontario || 1886 – 1900 || Acquired by [[ Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Ontario L'Orignal Railway]] || eastern Ontario || 1996–2001 || Acquired by [[Ottawa Central Railway|OCR]].
|-
| [[Orford Mountain Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Oshawa Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Ottawa and New York Railway]] || Eastern Ontario  || 1898–1957 || Subsidiary of [[New York Central Railroad|NYC]].
|-
| [[Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canada Atlantic Railway|CAR]].
|-
| [[Ottawa Northern and Western Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|}

==P==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Pacific Great Eastern Railway]] || British Columbia || 1913–1972 || Renamed [[British Columbia Railway|BCR]].
|-
| [[Parry Sound Colonization Railway]] || Ontario ||1887–1892|| Acquired by [[Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway|OA&PS]].
|-
| [[Pontiac Pacific Junction Railway]] || Quebec || 1880–1903 || Merged with Ottawa Northern and Western Railway.
|-
| [[Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway]] || Ontario || 1889–1938 || Abandoned
|-
| [[Preston and Berlin Railway]] || Waterloo Region, Ontario || 1857 || Short-lived line connecting the city of Berlin (Kitchener) to the town of Preston. Line was later sold to GTR and became part of the Galt Subdivision.
|-
| [[Prince Edward Island Railway]] || Prince Edward Island || 1871–1918 ||  Operated by [[Canadian Government Railways|CGR]], entrusted to [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|}

==Q==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railroad and Steamboat Company]] || Regina to Prince Albert || 1885–1906 || Acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| {{ill|Quebec and Lake St. John Railway|fr|Quebec and Lake St-John Railway}} ||Quebec to Roberval  ||1880–1906  || Acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|-
| [[Quebec and Saguenay Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Quebec Central Railway]] || Eastern Townships and Beauce ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]] 1911. Dormant 1994–2000, and again from 2006.
|-
| [[Quebec, Montreal and Southern Railway]] ||  ||  || Subsidiary of [[Delaware and Hudson Railway|DH]], acquired by [[Canadian National Railway|CN]].
|-
| [[Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Quebec Oriental Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Quebec Railway Light and Power Company (Quebec, Montmorency & Charlevoix Railway)]] ||Quebec-La Malbaie  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Quebec Southern Railway (QSR)|Quebec Southern Railway]]  ||  ||  ||
|}

==R==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Red Mountain Railway]] || Rossland to Paterson BC || 1897–1921  || Subsidiary of [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railway]].  Also named Columbia and Red Mountain Railway in Washington State.
|-
| [[Rutland and Noyan Railway]] ||  ||  || Subsidiary of [[Rutland Railroad|RUT]].  Abandoned.
|}

==S==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
|[[Shaw Logging Railroad]]
|[[Prairie River, Saskatchewan|Prairie River, SK]] area
|1907-1917
|
|-
| [[St. Eustache Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[St. John and Quebec Railway]] ||  ||  ||  Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad]] || southwestern Quebec || 1853-1853 || Acquired by [[Grand Trunk Railway|GTR]].
|-
| [[St. Lawrence and Hudson Railway]] || Ontario, Quebec, New England || 1996–2001 || Subsidiary of [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]] created to operate lines in eastern North America.  Merged back into parent company.
|-
| [[St. Lawrence and Ottawa Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[St. Mary's and Western Railway]] ||  ||  ||  Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[St. Maurice Valley Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Schomberg and Aurora Railway]] ||  ||  ||
|-
| [[Shawinigan Falls Terminal Railway]]  ||  ||  ||
|-
| [[Smoky Falls Railway]] ||  ||  || Subsidiary of [[Spruce Falls Power and Paper Company|SFPPC]].
|-
| [[South Ontario Pacific Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[South Western Traction Company]] ||Ontario  ||1902–1908  || Became [[London and Lake Erie Railway and Transportation Company]].
|-
| [[Sudbury and Copper Cliff Suburban Electric Railway]] || [[Greater Sudbury]], Ontario || 1915–50 || Converted to bus operations.
|-
| [[Sydney and Louisburg Railway]] || Cape Breton Island || 1895–1966 || Acquired by [[Cape Breton Development Corporation Railway|DEVCO]], line to Louisbourg is now defunct.
|}

==T==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Temiscouata Railway]] || eastern Quebec, northwestern New Brunswick || 1870–1949 || Acquired by [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]].
|-
| [[Terra Transport]] || Newfoundland || 1977–1988 || Division of [[Canadian National Railway|CN]].  Abandoned.
|-
| [[Thousand Islands Railway]] || Eastern Ontario || 1884–1958 || Acquired by [[Grand Trunk Railway|GTR]].
|-
| [[Thurso and Nation Valley Railway]] || [[Thurso, Quebec|Thurso]] to [[Duhamel, Quebec]] || 1927–1986 || Subsidiary of [[Singer Corporation|SC]].
|-
| [[Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway]] || Northeastern Ontario || 1902–1946 || Renamed to [[Ontario Northland Railway|ONR]].
|-
| [[Tillsonburg Lake Erie and Pacific Railway]] || Southwestern Ontario || 1896-1958 || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]] in 1904 and entity ceased to exist by 1958.
|-
| [[Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway]] || South-west Ontario || 1871–1883 || Acquired by [[Ontario and Quebec Railway|O&Q]].
|-
| [[Toronto and Nipissing Railway]] || south-central Ontario || 1871–1883 || Amalgamated into [[Midland Railway of Canada]].
|-
| [[Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway]] || southwestern Ontario || 1892–1987 || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Toronto Suburban Railway]] || Southwestern Ontario, Southern-Ontario || 1891–1931 || Acquired by [[Canadian Northern Railway|CNoR]].
|}

==V==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific]] subsequently leased to [[British Columbia Electric Railway]].
|-
| [[Vancouver, Victoria and Eastern Railway]] ||  ||  ||
|-
| [[Vancouver, Westminster and Yukon Railway]] ||  ||  ||ran from New Westminster to Vancouver along the Brunette and Still Creeks on modern CN alignment. Owned by lumberman John Hendry, it wanted to bridge the Second Narrows and go north.
|-
| [[Victoria and Sidney Railway]] ||  ||  ||  Subsidiary of [[Great Northern Railway (United States)|Great Northern Railway]].  Known as "the Cordwood Limited"
|-
| [[Victoria Terminal Railway and Ferry Company]] ||  ||  ||  later acquired by the Great Northern Railway
|}

==W==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Wabash Railroad]]  ||  ||  ||  Operated over running rights on [[Canada Air Line Railway|CAL]], later [[Canadian National Railway|CN]].  WAB merged into [[Norfolk and Western Railroad|NW]], later [[Norfolk Southern Railway|NS]].
|-
| [[Walkerton and Lucknow Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[West Ontario Pacific Railway]] ||  ||  || Acquired by [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]].
|-
| [[Western Counties Railway]] ||  ||  ||  Merged with [[Windsor and Annapolis Railway|W&A]] into [[Dominion Atlantic Railway|DAR]].
|-
| [[Windsor and Annapolis Railway]] || [[Nova Scotia]] || opened August 18, 1869 ||  Merged with [[Western Counties Railway|WCR]] into [[Dominion Atlantic Railway|DAR]].
|-
|[[Windsor and Hantsport Railway]]
|Nova Scotia
|1994 to 2011
|
|-
| [[Windsor, Essex and Lake Shore Rapid Railway]] ||  ||  ||
|-
| [[Winnipeg Transfer Railway]] || [[Manitoba]] || formed 1889, charter issued  March 31, 1890 || Operated in Winnipeg's Exchange District. In 1987 City of Winnipeg acquired spur lines in Exchange District to convert to roads.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/repriv/c22790e.php | title=Manitoba Laws }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=145 Market Avenue  |url=https://www.winnipeg.ca/ppd/Documents/Heritage/ListHistoricalResources/Market-145-long.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210092748/https://www.winnipeg.ca/ppd/Documents/Heritage/ListHistoricalResources/Market-145-long.pdf |archive-date=February 10, 2022}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Y==
{| class="wikitable"
! Railway name !! Locale !! Operating years !! Comments
|-
| [[Yarmouth and Annapolis Railway]] ||  ||  ||  Renamed [[Western Counties Railway|WCR]].
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Railways|Canada|History}}
* [[List of Canadian railways]]
* [[History of rail transport in Canada]]

== References ==
<references />

* Dorman, Robert: A Statutory History of the Steam and Electric Railways of Canada 1836-1937 Department of Transport, Canada
* Dorman, Robert: Appendix to above including addition of maps.
* Dorman, Robert; D.E.Stoltz: A Statutory History of Railways in Canada 1836-1986
* Churcher, Colin; Old Time Trains. [http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/whatsnew.html Old Time Trains] 
* Smith, Ivan (1998), ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20050301090050/http://www.trainweb.org/canadianrailways/articles/SignificantDatesInNSRailwayHistoryPart2.html Significant Dates in Nova Scotia's Railway History (1850- 1899)]''. Retrieved August 16, 2005.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Defunct Canadian railways}}
[[Category:Defunct railway companies of Canada|*]]
[[Category:Lists of former rail lines|Canada]]
[[Category:Lists of railway companies|Canada, defunct]]
[[Category:Canada railway-related lists|Companies, Defunct]]
[[Category:Lists of companies of Canada|Railways, Defunct]]
[[Category:Lists of defunct companies|Railway, Canada]]