For years one of the great needs of the Similkameen Valley was a proper railroad connection to freight, raw materials and agricultural produce to outside markets. The principal contenders for the rail line were the Vancouver Victoria & Eastern Railway, and the Great Northern Railroad (GNR). The GNR reached Keremeos in July of 1907, and, in 1908 acquired the charter of V.V. & E., and started grading a line from Keremeos to Brookmere. Steel was laid in the summer and fall of 1909. The first train from Oroville, Washington State, to Princeton arrived in Hedley at 11:00 AM on December 23, 1909. The station at Hedley was at that time a box car on a siding with steps leading up to it and shelves around the walls for luggage.
In 1934 the tracks between Hedley and Princeton were heavily damaged by high water. This section was never repaired and was abandoned in 1939. By this time the Kettle Valley Railroad provided service to Princeton and west.
Much of Highway 3 between Hedley and Princeton follows the grade of the GNR. The GNR was forced to maintain service much longer than they had desired and with the closure of the mines in Hedley in 1955, the track was lifted to Keremeos.

Train built by Brooks Co. in 1897 is a 2-6-0 wheel arrangement. Class D Mogul, carried a St. Paul Minneapolis & Manitoba Rlwy no. 384. VV&E - Vancouver& Victoria and Eastern Railway Co. Inc. May 18, 1899 in B. C. Subsidiary sold to Great Northern Railroad on December 31, 1944.