Calgary and Edmonton Railway

The Calgary and Edmonton Railway (C&E) was a early pioneer railway in what was then the Northwest Territories, now Alberta, Canada. It connected the towns of Calgary and Strathcona (also called South Edmonton) and opened in 1891. [ [http://www.railwaymuseum.ab.ca/?q=node/24 A Brief History of Alberta's Railways | The Alberta Railway Museum ] ] The line was the first major transportation connection for the isolated Edmonton settlement, and the development of the line was responsible for the creation of many railway towns along the line such as Red Deer and Wetaskiwin.

The line was later acquired by the Canadian Pacific Railway, and Strathcona merged with Edmonton in 1912. The northern terminus of the line was the Strathcona Canadian Pacific Railway station, until the Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific Railway company was created to run a shortline across the North Saskatchewan River in 1902.

The line's primary "rasion d'etre" to move in settlers from the east coast to Edmonton where they would congragate at immigration halls and land titles offices before setting out in the rural areas to start homesteads. Some limited export of grain happened from farms near the line, but the real grain boom in the area required the construction of many more branch lines lined with grain elevators.

The line itself still exists, although passenger service has been discontinued.

References

ee also

*Calgary and Edmonton Trail