CPR Kootenay Central Subdivision

The Kootenay Central Subdivision is a 142.5 mile railway line of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) running from Golden on the Mountain Subdivision to Fort Steele on the Cranbrook Subdivision. It also connects with the 8.9 mile freight-only Skookumchuck Branch at Skookumchuck, and to the Crestbrook Forest Industries' industrial line at Canal Flats.

At South Golden there are rolling stock maintenance shops.

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

= History = The railway line from Golden to Fort Steele was opened by the Kootenay Central Railway (KCR) in 1913; the KCR was absorbed by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1959, and the line became the CPR's Windermere Subdivision; it received its present name in 1988, in honour of the 75th anniversary of the opening of the line.

Skookumchuck Branch
The Crows Nest Lumber Company opened a 1.3 mile rail line from Skookumchuck to their pulp mill at Crestbrook, and operated a total of 12 miles of track for hauling logs. The Kootenay Central Railway took over the CNLC railway operations in 1933 after the movement of logs to the mill was switched to lorries, with the railway line being cut back to the 1.3 miles between Skookumchuck and the pulp mill; in 1949, the Crows Nest Lumber Company was merged into Crestbrook Forest Industries.

In 1957, the KCR extended the branch with a twisty 7.6-mile section to Premier Lake, to serve a large agro-industrial complex opened there in 1956, and two years later, when the KCR was absorbed by the CPR, it became the Skookumchuck Branch of the Windermere Subdivision.

= Services =

Freight
There are four daily scheduled freight trains on the line, and, usually, several extras each day.

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.

The only passenger service on the Kootenay Central Subdivision is a Rapid train, also known as "semi-express". These are similar to regular Express trains, making a limited number of scheduled stops, but stops can be booked up to three hours in advance at any station on the route that has passenger service. There is one Rapid service.


 * 629/630, 631/632, 633/634 (CP): Blaenau – Cranbrook
 * Three daily trains in each direction with first and second class chair cars and a cafeteria car; baggage handling is free of charge for first class passengers, and available with a surcharge for second class passengers. For travel between Blaenau and Golden a surcharge is applied. Scheduled intermediate stops: Llangefni, Golden, Spillimacheen, Radium Hot Springs, Fairmont Hot Springs, Fort Steele City

= Route = ♦ - Scheduled Rapid stop • - Flag stop (advance booking only) | - No passenger service