CPR Cranbrook Subdivision

The Cranbrook Subdivision is a 107.7 mile railway line of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) running from Crowsnest on the British Columbia–Canada border, where it connects with the Crowsnest Subdivision Lethbridge, Alberta, to Cranbrook on the Nelson Subdivision. It connects to numerous other lines: at Fabro to the Corbin Subdivision, at Natal to the Elk Prairie Branch, at Sparwood to the Fording River Subdivision, at Elko to the North Western Pacific Railroad's Crowsnest Southern Line, at Caithness to the CPR Waldo Subdivision, at Fort Steele to the Kootenay Central Subdivision, at North Star to the Kimberley Subdivision, at Wardner Junction to the CPR Wardner Subdivision.

The Cranbrook Subdivision is part of the Kootenay Division of the CPR's British Columbia District.

Cranbrook has a large yard and an engine shop with an operational turntable.

= History = Seeking access to the resource-rich Kootenay region of British Columbia, the Canadian Pacific Railway opened a line from Lethbridge to Cranbrook in 1899 to connect there with the British Columbia Southern Railway, which had reached Cranbrook from Kootenay Landing in the same year.

The line connected to the Morrissey, Fernie & Michel Railway at two places: until 1908 at the original Morrissey Station, and until 1957 at Fernie; at Fernie and at Michel there were connections to the Crows Nest Southern Railway until 1929, when the CNS closed its own line between Elko and Michel, after which the CNS and its successors had running rights from Elko to Michel until 1948.

Originally, the route ran on a different route between Colvalli and Wardner Junction, which was originally called North Star. The construction of a dam forced the abandonment of part of the line between Colvalli and Wardner in 1966. The remaining section of the original line became the Wardner Subdivision, and a new route was built for the mainline. The original North Star Station was renamed Wardner Junction, and a new North Star Station was opened at the same time.

Elk Prairie Branch
This is a 2.9 mile freight-only branch to Westar Mining's coal preparation plant at Elk Prairie.

= Services =

Passenger
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