Cassiar Central Line

The Cassiar Central Line is a 292.2 mile railway line of the British Columbia Railway (BC Rail) running from Dease Lake on the Stikine Line to Teslin, Yukon, Canada on the Klondike Line.

The Cassiar Central Line is Line 82 of BC Rail's Northern Region.

= History = The Cassiar Central Railway (CCR) was incorporated in 1897, with the intention of building a railway line from Dease Lake to Teslin Lake in the Yukon Territory of Canada, and eventually to extend in both directions to run from Prince George to Whitehorse, Yukon. Work began at once, and the first section, 55.2 miles from Porter Landing to Cassiar, was opened in 1899, followed by the 27.8 mile Porter Landing–Dease Lake section in 1902. Work north from Cassiar was put on hold due to lack of funds, but finally work on the right of way from Cassiar towards Teslin began in 1911. By 1914 the track had only reached Klinkit, and work was again suspended due to the outbreak of the Great War. After the end of the war, funds were once again unavailable, and only some survey work towards Teslin was completed, but no further track work was done before the company went bankrupt in 1927; at that point the CCR line from Dease Lake to Klinkit was 193 miles in length.

The track then sat abandoned for nearly fifty years, until in the early 1970s the plans to build a railway to Whitehorse were revived. Since a fair portion of line had already been completed there, it was decided to incorporate the Dease Lake–Klinkit right of way into the new line, instead of the route via Defot and Kawdy Mountain that had been inspected in 1971 (Porter Landing–Defot–Tuya Butte–Kawdy Mountain–Four Mile Lake–BC/Canada border–Dawson Peaks–Teslin. Refurbishment of the old Cassiar Central line began in 1973 after the opening of the Skeena Pacific line to Dease Lake, and work was completed in 1975, at the same time as the BCR's Takla–Dease Lake line was finished. Work on the new section from Klinkit to Teslin was begun at the same time, and the Cassiar Central Line' was completed in 1977, giving the Yukon its second rail connection to the outside world after the White Pass & Yukon Railway. The new line was much preferable to Canada, though, as it was an all-overland line, and did not pass through American territory.

= Services =

Freight
There are daily freight trains in each direction, along with extra trains as needed.

Passenger
The various categories of passenger service are defined by the Ministry of Labour, Industry & Railways in conjunction with the Ministry of Transport & Communications; these categories are applicable to and used by all railways providing passenger service in British Columbia. Like all other railways in BC, ticket prices for BC Rail passenger trains are based on the Ministry's Schedule of Railway Fares.

Limited Express
Limited Express trains are BC Rail's fastest and most prestigious trains, making very few or no intermediate stops. They feature free baggage handling for both first and second classes, along with a cafeteria car open to both classes. The Stikine Line sees three international Limited Express services.

All international Limited Express trains feature full-service dining cars open to first and second class passengers, sleeping cars (first class) and sleeperette cars (second class), as well as baggage handling, free of charge for first class passengers, or for a surcharge for second class passengers. International services may be used for domestic travel, but for travel between three or fewer domestic stops a surcharge is applied. These trains stop at Helen Lake, BC, and at Morley River, Yukon, for passport and customs inspections, but passengers may not board nor alight at these stops.


 * 121/122 Klondike Limited (BCR): Prince George, BC – Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
 * Three trains run weekly in each direction, with northbound trains departing Prince George on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and southbound trains departing Whitehorse on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. This train runs entirely over BC Rail trackage and is operated with BC Rail equipment and crews. Intermediate stops:
 * BC: Fort St James, Takla, Dease Lake, Porter Landing, Cassiar, Klinkit
 * Yukon: Teslin, Carcross


 * 123/124 Aurora Borealis (BCR/VIA Rail): Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
 * Two trains run weekly in each direction using mixed consists of VIA rail coaches and BC Rail baggage, dining, sleeping, and sleeperette cars. Northbound trains depart Edmonton on Tuesday and Thursday, and southbound trains depart Whitehorse on Monday and Wednesday. This train runs over BC Rail trackage between Whitehorse and Dawson Creek, and over Canadian National trackage between Dawson Creek and Edmonton. One of the return trips are operated with BC Rail locomotives and crews, the other with VIA locomotives and crews. Intermediate stops:
 * Alberta: Slave Lake, McLennan, Grand Prairie, Beaver Lodge
 * BC: Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Fort St James, Takla, Dease Lake, Porter Landing, Cassiar, Klinkit
 * Yukon: Teslin, Carcross


 * 191/192 Alaska Limited (BCR/Alaska Railroad): Anchorage, Alaska, USA – Seattle, Washington, USA
 * This is a once-weekly service departing Seattle on Tuesdays and Anchorage on Fridays, consisting of two ARR and two BC Rail sleeping cars in the summer months and one ARR and one BC Rail sleeper in the winter. These consists operate as through cars attached to the Alaska Railroad's international semi-express service between Anchorage and Whitehorse, to the BC Rail "Klondike Limited" between Whitehorse and Prince George, to the BC Rail "Fraser-Skeena" domestic express between Prince George and Ashcroft, to the BC Rail "Inter-Dominion Limited" between Ashcroft and Vancouver, and to the W&BC/Amtrak "Cascades" international express between Vancouver and Seattle. Intermediate stops:
 * Alaska: Wasilla, Talkeetna, Denali, Fairbanks, Delta Junction, Dry Creek, Dot Lake, Tanacross, Tok, Tetlin, Northway, Alcan Border (US customs checks)
 * Yukon: Beaver Creek (Canadian customs checks), Snag Junction, Quill Creek, Burwash Landing, Destruction Bay, Kloo Lake, Haines Junction, Canyon, Champagne Landing, Ibex Valley, Whitehorse, Teslin, Carcross
 * BC: Klinkit, Cassiar, Porter Landing, Dease Lake, Takla, Fort St James, Prince George, Red Rock, Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Clinton, Cache Creek, Ashcroft, Hope, Chilliwack, Vancouver (Pacific Central), White Rock (BC customs checks)
 * Washington: Blaine (US customs checks), Ferndale, Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Stanwood, Everett, Edmonds

Local
Local trains are passenger trains that make scheduled stops at all stations and halts along the route they serve. There are one international and one domestic Local trains on the Klondike Line.


 * 8201.1-2/8202.1-2: Kluakaz – Dease Lake – Cassiar
 * Two daily round trips, second class only with a cafeteria car.


 * 8301.1-2/8302.1-2: Cassiar – Whitehorse, Yukon
 * Two daily return trips, first and second-class with seat-side drink and snack service. Baggage and parcel service is available for a surcharge.

= Route =

● - Scheduled Limited Express and Local stop • - Local stop