1

In 1874 the Cape Tormentine Branch Railway Company was incorporated to build a 32 mile long line from Sackville on the Intercolonial Railway line to Cape Tormentine. In 1883 track was laid from Sackville to Baie Verte and by December of 1886 the final miles of track were completed. The line built over level ground cost only $7,000 per mile to build. However, this sum is somewhat misleading given that the road was not ballasted and most of the rolling stock was older Intercolonial equipment. The purpose of the line was to provide the most convenient connection possible to move goods and people on and off of Prince Edward Island, Cape Tormentine being the closest point between the two Provinces. The railway was reincorporated as the New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island Railway in 1889. The line came under the control of the Canadian Government Railways in 1914 and was then operated by the Intercolonial Railway until that railway was taken over by Canadian National. On September 17, 1917 the first railcar ferry arrived at the Borden terminal on Prince Edward Island from Cape Tormentine. The ferry service was established because the Dominion of Canada was required under the terms of Confederation to provide a year round transportation link with the mainland. Prior to the establishment of the ferry goods and people were moved on and off the Island by boats. Goods had to be unloaded off of trains on the New Brunswick side, then transported across by boat, and reloaded onto train cars on Prince Edward Island. The line continued to provide an essential link for moving products on and off the Island into the 1970's. However, as the transportation industry continued to focus more on moving goods by truck, rail business to the line declined. The line was abandoned in 1989, the same year that the lines on Prince Edward Island were also abandoned. Today the Confederation Bridge handles all the traffic to the Island once transported by the New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island Railway.

2

New Brunswick and Prince Island Railway line
19th Century
New Brunswick, Canada


Credits:
New Brunswick Railway Museum

3

Cape Tormentine Station
20th Century, Circa 1928
Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick, Canada


Credits:
New Brunswick Railway Museum