North Western Pacific Railroad

The North Western Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark NWP) is an American railway company operating 139.6 miles of railway in British Columbia, primarily in the Kootenay region. The NWP provides both passenger and freight services.

The North Western Pacific is one of the major railway companies of North America, along with the empires of the the Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Union Pacific, Burlington Northern & Gulf, Santa Fe Southern, Chesapeake Southern, Pennsylania Seaboard, New York Western, etc. It is the only directly American-owned railway company to own and operate trackage in BC since the creation of the Washington & British Columbia Railway in 1937.

= History = The North Western Pacific Railroad was formed in 1998 through the merger of the Chicago, Milwaukee & North Western Railroad and the Southern Pacific Railroad.

= Motive power and rolling stock =

Electric locomotives
= Network = The following lines are part of the British Columbia District; many of these lines cross the border into Washington state and some are completely within it, but nevertheless they are part of the BC District.

BC District Western Division
66.9 miles (15.1 miles in BC), all electrified, 9.2 miles freight only


 * Bellingham & Northern Line: Mission (CP)–Matsqui (BCR)–Abbotsford (BCH, W&BC)–Huntingdon (BCH)–Sumas, WA (BN&G, W&BC)–Everson Jct, WA–Bellingham, WA (BN&G, W&BC; station shared with W&BC)–Fairhaven, WA, 36.8 miles (10.7 in BC), electrified
 * Lynden Branch: Everson Jct, WA–Lynden, WA, 4.9 miles, electrified, freight only
 * North Poplar Branch: Abbotsford–North Poplar, 4.3 miles, electrified, freight only
 * Glacier Line: Sumas, WA–Glacier, WA, 20.9 miles, electrified

BC District Eastern Division
497.8 miles (123.6 miles in BC), 20.4 miles freight only; 38.8 miles closed (in BC)


 * Crowsnest Southern Line: Coeur d'Alene, ID (BN&G, SI, W&BC)–Clark Fork, ID (BN&G)–East Troy, MT (BN&G)–Jennings, MT (BN&G)–Eureka, MT (BN&G)–Elko (CP)–Mount Broadwood Jct–Flathead, 271.0 miles (61.4 in BC); Elko–Michel section (38.8 miles) closed 1929.
 * Kootenay & Pend Oreille Line: Coeur d'Alene, ID (BN&G, SI, W&BC)–Rathdrum, ID (BN&G)–Spirit Lake, ID–Newport, WA (BN&G)–Salmo (W&BC)–Castlegar (BCR), 163.0 miles (41.8 in BC)
 * Spokane Branch: Spirit Lake, ID–Spokane, WA (BN&G, SI, W&BC), 43.4 miles
 * Outlier Ridge Line: Mount Broadwood Jct–Outlier Ridge, 20.4 miles, freight only

= Passenger Services = The NWP operates passenger trains in service types ranging from Limited Express trains making very few intermediate stops down to Local services making stops at all stations and stops with passenger service. All NWP passenger trains are international services; in terms of network size, it operates the most extensive system of passenger trains of any major railway in the United States, and is one of the only two Class I railways in the US operates its own passenger trains, rather than delegating them to Amtrak (the Washington & British Columbia Railway is the other).

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 NWP passenger trains in BC are based on the Ministry's Schedule of Railway Fares.

Limited Express
The W&BC operates one Limited Express service, the International Hiawatha running between Vancouver and Chicago, Illinois, featuring 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. This train may be used for domestic travel within BC, but for travel between three or fewer domestic stops a surcharge is applied (this restriction is not applicable to travel in the US).


 * 131/132 International Hiawatha (NWP/BC Rail): Vancouver, BC (Pacific Central) – Chicago, Illinois, USA
 * Twice-weekly service with eastbound trains departing Vancouver on Wednesdays and Saturdays, westbound trains leaving Chicago on Tuesdays and Fridays; all trains consist of NWP consists. This train runs over the trackage of the BC Rail between Vancouver and Castlegar, and over NWP trackage between Castlegar and Chicago; locomotive changes take place in Castlegar. Intermediate stops:
 * BC: Hope, Princeton, Penticton, Grand Forks, Castlegar, Salmo, Nelway (BC and US customs checks)
 * Washington: Metaline Falls, Newport
 * Idaho: Spirit Lake
 * Washington: Spokane
 * Idaho: St Maries
 * Montana: Alberton, Missoula, Butte, Harlowton, Miles City
 * South Dakota: Morristown, Mobridge, Aberdeen
 * Minnesota: Ortonville, Minneapolis, St Paul, Winona
 * Wisconsin: La Crosse, Milwaukee
 * Illinois: Racine

Rapid
Rapid (also known as "semi-express") trains 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. The NWP operates three Rapid trains, of which two are operated jointly with other railways.


 * 135/136 Salishan Rapid (NWP/BC Rail): Vancouver (Pacific Central) – Glacier, Washington, USA
 * One daily return trip runs in the summer timetable with NWP equipment and crews; two daily return trips run in the winter timetable, one with BC Rail equipment, the other with NWP equipment. Locomotive and crew changes take place at Huntingdon, BC on eastbound trips, and at Sumas, Washington on westbound trips; both BC and US customs checks occur at these stations, and passengers may not board or disembark here. These trains feature first and second class chair cars and a cafeteria car; there is no baggage handling service. This train operates as an Express train in BC (flag stops cannot be booked), and as a Rapid in Washington. A surcharge applies for trips entirely within BC (i.e. travel only between Vancouver and Abbotsford). Scheduled intermediate stops:
 * BC: Abbotsford, Huntingdon (BC and US customs checks eastbound)
 * Washington: Sumas (BC and US customs checks westbound), Columbia, Maple Falls, Glacier


 * 681/682 (NWP/CP): Cranbrook – Coeur d'Alene
 * Daily service with a morning departure from each end, the trip takes about seven hours using one CP consist and one NWP consist; locomotive and crew changes take place at Elko. These trains feature 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 three or fewer domestic stops on the Cranbrook–Fort Steele section a surcharge is applied. BC customs checks take place at McDonald, US checks at Roosville, Montana. Scheduled intermediate stops:
 * BC: Fort Steele City, Elko, Grasmere, McDonald
 * Montana: Roosville, Eureka, Jennings, Libby, Bull Lake, Heron
 * Idaho: Clark Fork, Belmont, Hayden Lake


 * 901/902 (NWP): Castlegar – Coeur d'Alene
 * Daily service with a morning departure from each end, featuring 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. The short-trip surcharge is not applicable on this train. BC customs checks take place at Nelway, US checks at Metaline Falls, Washington. Scheduled intermediate stops:
 * BC: Ootischenia, Salmo, Nelway
 * Washington: Metaline Falls, Ione, Cusick, Usk, Newport
 * Idaho: Blanchard, Spirit Lake, Rathdrum

Local
Local trains are passenger trains that make scheduled stops at all stations and halts along the route they serve. All are second-class only, and neither has baggage handling.


 * 9901/9902, 9903/9904: Abbotsford, BC – Seattle, Washington, USA
 * Two daily return trips, second class only with a cafeteria car.


 * 9911/9912, 9913/9914: Castlegar, BC – Metaline Falls, Washington, USA
 * Two daily return trips, second class only with no refreshment service.