A Railway Operating Certificate is an official document issued by Transport Canada, under the authority of the Railway Safety Act, to authorize a railway company or local railway company to operate in Canada.
Companies apply for a Railway Operating Certificate by completing an application form and submitting it to Transport Canada.
Below is a list of railway companies and local railway companies that have been issued a Railway Operating Certificate.
Since January 1, 2015, new companies must obtain a Railway Operating Certificate prior to commencing operations in Canada. Existing companies have a two-year grace period, until January 1, 2017, to obtain a Railway Operating Certificate.
For more information about Railway Operating Certificates, please consult our Frequently Asked Questions.
|
Company Name |
Company Type |
Types of Operations |
Issue Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algoma Steel Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2020-07-24 |
| Celanese Canada ULC | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2020-07-24 |
| Windsor Transload Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2020-07-10 |
| BioPower Sustainable Energy Corporation | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2019-12-20 |
| St. Paul & Pacific Northwest Railroad Company, LLC | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight & Operation and maintenance of line work | 2018-12-28 |
| Maska-Wa Transportation Association Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers | 2018-07-16 |
| GIO Railways Corporation | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2018-06-29 |
| Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2018-05-18 |
| The Vintage Locomotive Society Inc. O/A Prairie Dog Central Railway | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers | 2017-05-09 |
| White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad | Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers Operations and maintenance of line work | 2018-07-31 |
| Réseau de transport métropolitain | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers | 2017-04-26 |
| The Toronto Terminals Railway Company Limited | Railway Company | Operation and Maintenance of Line Work | 2016-12-29 |
| Trillium Railway Co. Ltd. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-12-22 |
| Great Sandhills Railway Ltd. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-12-22 |
| Union Pacific Railroad Company | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-12-22 |
| 9961526 Canada Limited | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight/Operation and Maintenance of line work | 2016-12-21 |
| Ontario Northland Transportation Commission | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-12-13 |
| RTC Rail Solutions Ltd. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-12-12 |
| Source Energy Services Canadian Logistics LP GP Ltd. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2018-07-10 (Railway Operating Certificate no longer valid as of July 10, 2018. The company has stopped operating.) |
| BNSF Railway Company | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight
Operations and maintenance of line work |
2016-11-25 |
| Torch River Rail Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-11-25 |
| Eastern Maine Railway Company | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight, Operation and Maintenance of Line Work | 2016-11-16 |
| Metrolinx | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers | 2016-11-16 |
| National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) | Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers | 2016-11-14 |
| Norfolk Southern Railway Company | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight, Operation and Maintenance of Line Work | 2016-11-09 |
| VIA Rail Canada Inc. | Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers, Operation and Maintenance of Line Work | 2016-11-09 |
| City of Ottawa carrying on business as Capital Railway | Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers, Operation and Maintenance of Line Work | 2016-10-27 |
| Last Mountain Railway | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-10-27 |
| Big Sky Railway Corp. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-10-27 |
| Lake Line Railroad Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-10-27 |
| Canfor Pulp Ltd. – Northwood Division | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-10-13 |
| Cando Rail Services Ltd. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2018-11-07 |
| Nipissing Central Railway | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight, Operation and Maintenance of Line Work | 2016-09-30 |
| Central Maine and Quebec Railway Canada Inc. | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight, Operation and Maintenance of Line Work | 2016-09-16 |
| Stewart Southern Railway Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-09-16 |
| Battle River Railway NGC Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-09-16 |
| Essar Steel Algoma Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-09-13 (Railway Operating Certificate no longer valid as of July 24, 2020) |
| Société du chemin de fer de la Gaspésie | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-09-13 |
| Railserve Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-09-09 |
| Southern Rails Co-operative Ltd. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-09-02 |
| Keewatin Railway Company | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers, Transportation of Freight | 2016-08-26 |
| Chemin de fer Sartigan | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-08-15 |
| West Coast Express Limited | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers | 2016-08-15 |
| Huron Central Railway Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-07-16 |
| RaiLink Canada Ltd. | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight Operation and Maintenance of Line Work | 2016-07-14 |
| Transport Ferroviaire Tshiuetin Inc. | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight Operation and Maintenance of Line Work Transportation of Passengers | 2016-07-14 |
| Cargill Limited – Cargill Limitée | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-07-14 |
| Southern Railway of British Columbia Limited | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-07-07 |
| Goderich-Exeter Railway Company Limited | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight Operation and Maintenance of Line Work Transportation of Passengers | 2016-07-05 |
| Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway Ltd. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-06-22 |
| Knob Lake and Timmins Railway Company Inc. | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight
Operation and Maintenance of Line Work |
2016-06-22 |
| Great Canadian Railtour Company Ltd. | Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers
Operation and Maintenance of Line Work |
2016-06-21 |
| Central Manitoba Railway Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2018-11-07 |
| Ontario Southland Railway Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-06-21 |
| Chemin de fer de Québec-Gatineau Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-06-20 |
| St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (Québec) Inc. | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight
Operation and Maintenance of Line Work |
2016-06-20 |
| Hudson Bay Railway Company | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight
Transportation of Passengers Operation and Maintenance of Line Work |
2018-08-31 |
| Carlton Trail Railway Company | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-06-20 |
| Kettle Falls International Railway Company | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight
Operation and Maintenance of Line Work |
2016-06-20 |
| Compagnie du Chemin de fer Roberval Saguenay | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-06-06 |
| CSX Transportation, Inc. | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight
Operation and Maintenance of Line Work |
2016-06-03 |
| Logistec Stevedoring (Nova Scotia) Inc. also carrying on business as Sydney Coal Railway | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight
Operation and Maintenance of Line Work |
2018-07-28 (Railway Operating Certificate no longer valid as of July 28, 2018. The company has stopped operating.) |
| The Essex Terminal Railway Company | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight
Operation and Maintenance of Line Work |
2016-06-02 |
| Canadian National Railway Company | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight
Transportation of Passengers Operation and Maintenance of Line Work |
2016-05-30 |
| Agence Métropolitaine de Transport | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers | 2017-06-01 (Railway Operating Certificate no longer valid as of June 1, 2017. The company has stopped operating.) |
| RTK WP2 Canada Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-04-08 |
| Koch Fertilizer Canada, ULC | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2016-03-07 |
| Chemin de fer Orford Express Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers | 2016-01-20 |
| Rio Tinto Alcan | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2015-12-02 |
| Minnesota Dakota & Western Railway Company | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2015-11-13 |
| Great Western Railway, Ltd. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2015-11-03 |
| West Coast Railway Association | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers | 2015-10-08 |
| Québec North Shore & Labrador Railway | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight
Transportation of Passengers Operation and Maintenance of Line Work |
2015-10-08 |
| Boundary Trail Railway Company, Inc. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2015-10-01 |
| Prairie Rail Solutions Ltd. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2015-08-18 |
| Thunder Rail Ltd. | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2015-08-18 |
| Canadian Pacific Railway Company | Railway Company | Transportation of Freight
Transportation of Passengers Operation and Maintenance of Line Work |
2015-07-23 |
| Prudential Steel ULC | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Freight | 2015-07-20 |
| Kamloops Heritage Railway Society | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers | 2015-05-15 |
| Railmark Canada Limited | Local Railway Company | Transportation of Passengers | 2016-09-02 (Railway Operating Certificate no longer valid as of September 2, 2016. |