North Fork Line

The North Fork Line is a 19.6 mile railway line of the British Columbia Railway (BC Rail) running from Cuprum on the Boundary Line to Archibald.

The North Fork Line is Line 504 of BC Rail's Kootenay Region.

History
The Kettle River Valley Railway (KRVR) opened its 18.3 mile line from Grand Forks City Station in 1901, naming the station thus to differentiate it from the Republic & Kettle River Valley Railway's station opened a few months earlier, further outside the town centre of Grand Forks.

The Columbia & Western Railway bought the KRVR in 1914 and absorbed it, building the 1.3 mile connection from Grand Forks City to Cuprum in 1914. The C&W was in turn taken over by the Kettle Valley Railway in 1931, making the former KRVR line part of its Boundary Subdivision.

In 1955, the Kettle Valley Railway was absorbed by the British Columbia Railway, and the Cuprum–Archibald Line was named North Fork Line. Passenger service on the North Fork Line was discontinued in 1963.

Freight
Since 1963 the North Fork Line has been freight-only beyond Grand Forks City, primarily shipping fluorite and silica from Cominco's Rock Candy Mine at Archibald with three trains weekly. In harvest season there are also agricultural products shipped from Humming Bird and Lynch Creek with extra trains.

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.

Since 1963 the only passenger service on this line is a Local service between Grand Forks City and Castlegar via Cuprum.


 * 5001D.1-3/5002D.1-3: Castlegar – Grand Forks City
 * Three daily return trips operated by DC, second class only with seat-side drink and snack service. Timetable for these trains is here.

Route
Italic text indicates a closed station.