Winnipeg–Churchill train

The Winnipeg–Churchill train (formerly known as the Hudson Bay and, before that, Northern Spirits)^[2] is a twice weekly passenger train operated by Via Rail between Winnipeg and Churchill, Manitoba. It is the only dry-land connection between Churchill and the rest of Canada.

Winnipeg–Churchill train

The Winnipeg–Churchill train at Churchill in 1997
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Operating
Locale	Manitoba, Canada
Current operator(s)	Via Rail
Former operator(s)	Canadian National Railway
Ridership	428 weekly (FY 2023)[1]
Annual ridership	22,247 (FY 2023)[1]
Website	Winnipeg - Churchill
Route
Termini	Winnipeg, Manitoba; The Pas, Manitoba Churchill, Manitoba
Distance travelled	1,710 km (1,063 mi)
Average journey time	44 h 55 m to Churchill, 45 h 15 m to Winnipeg
Service frequency	3 trains per week
Train number(s)	693, 691 (northbound), 692, 690 (southbound)
On-board services
Class(es)	Economy and sleeper class
Seating arrangements	Coach seat
Sleeping arrangements	Sleepers (offering some "open sections")
Catering facilities	Dining car
Technical
Rolling stock	Stainless Steel Cars
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	80 mph (128 km/h)
Track owner(s)	CN, HBRY, KRC
Route map Legend 1697 km 1054 mi Churchill 1685 km 1047 mi Tidal 1670 km 1038 mi Digges 1659 km 1031 mi Bylot 1646 km 1023 mi Lamprey 1632 km 1014 mi Chesnaye 1617 km 1005 mi Cromarty 1603 km 996 mi Belcher 1588 km 987 mi M'Clintock 1575 km 979 mi Back 1562 km 971 mi O'Day 1548 km 962 mi Kellett 1540 km 957 mi Herchmer 1520 km 944 mi Silcox 1508 km 937 mi Thibaudeau 1492 km 927 mi Lawledge 1477 km 918 mi Weir River 1463 km 909 mi Charlebois 1448 km 900 mi Amery 1435 km 892 mi Bird 1414 km 879 mi Kettle Rapids 1401 km 871 mi Gillam 1390 km 864 mi Luke 1366 km 849 mi Wivenhoe 1353 km 841 mi Nonsuch 1337 km 831 mi Ilford 1310 km 814 mi Munk 1289 km 801 mi Pit Siding 1279 km 795 mi Boyd 1257 km 781 mi Arnot 1249 km 776 mi Wilde 1229 km 764 mi Bridgar 1220 km 758 mi Pikwitonei 1199 km 745 mi Sipiwesk 1149 km 714 mi Thompson 1086 km 675 mi Leven 1073 km 667 mi Thicket Portage 1064 km 661 mi Hockin 1052 km 654 mi La Perouse 1041 km 647 mi Earchman 1031 km 641 mi Odhill 1017 km 632 mi Lyddal 996 km 619 mi Wabowden 985 km 612 mi Pipun 973 km 605 mi Dunlop 961 km 597 mi Button 949 km 590 mi Ponton 927 km 576 mi Turnbull 907 km 564 mi Wekusko 890 km 553 mi Paterson 877 km 545 mi Dyce 864 km 537 mi Rawebb 850 km 528 mi Dering 843 km 524 mi Cormorant 837 km 520 mi Halcrow 825 km 513 mi Budd 811 km 504 mi Finger 804 km 500 mi Atikameg Lake 798 km 496 mi Orok 790 km 491 mi Tremaudan Keewatin Railway to Pukatawagan 777 km 483 mi The Pas Manitoba Saskatchewan 636 km 395 mi Hudson Bay 586 km 364 mi Reserve 549 km 341 mi Endeavour 520 km 323 mi Sturgis 484 km 301 mi Canora 473 km 294 mi Mikado 459 km 285 mi Veregin 446 km 277 mi Kamsack 412 km 256 mi Togo Saskatchewan Manitoba 385 km 239 mi Roblin 331 km 206 mi Grandview 315 km 196 mi Gilbert Plains 283 km 176 mi Dauphin 262 km 163 mi Ochre River 238 km 148 mi Laurier 224 km 139 mi McCreary 191 km 119 mi Glenella 169 km 105 mi Plumas 148 km 92 mi Gladstone The Canadian to Vancouver 88 km 55 mi Portage la Prairie 0 km Winnipeg The Canadian to Toronto This diagram: view talk edit

The service, which runs through Manitoba and Saskatchewan, travels on the Canadian National Railway line north to The Pas, where it transfers to the Hudson Bay Railway, passing through Wabowden, Manitoba, with a spur from Sipiwesk to Thompson, and Gillam on its way to the Port of Churchill on Hudson Bay.

Schedule

The northbound train leaves Winnipeg at 12:05 on Tuesdays and Sundays and is scheduled to arrive in Churchill two days later at 09:00. The southbound service departs Churchill at 19:30 on Thursday and Saturday evenings and reaches Winnipeg at 16:45 two days later. An additional weekly service operates in each direction between The Pas (departure at 02:30 on Fridays) and Churchill (departure at 19:30 on Tuesdays). The trip takes approximately 45 hours each way.

History

An unnamed mixed passenger train connecting with the Winnipeg–Churchill train at The Pas previously served Lynn Lake, but this service was truncated to Pukatawagan in 2003 by the then track owners OmniTRAX citing a loss in freight traffic making the service unprofitable. Via still operates twice weekly service from The Pas to Pukatawagan on behalf of the Keewatin Railway which now owns the Sherridon Subdivision.^[2][3][4]

2017 flooding

Service between Gillam and Churchill was suspended on May 23, 2017, when flooding heavily damaged the track bed and bridges.^[5] Because supplies had to be flown in by air when train service was suspended, prices skyrocketed in Churchill.^[6]

Repairs of the track began on September 8, 2018.^[7] By October 31, 2018, the track was repaired,^[8] and passenger services resumed with train 693 on December 2.^[9]

List of stations

Name	Province	Coordinates
Winnipeg	MB	49°53′20.000″N 97°8′3.001″W
Portage la Prairie	MB	49°58′37.9″N 98°17′17.2″W
Gladstone	MB	50°13′31.1″N 98°56′53.9″W
Plumas	MB	50°23′4.6″N 99°5′22.9″W
Glenella	MB	50°33′23.8″N 99°11′46.0″W
McCreary	MB	50°46′24.6″N 99°29′22.9″W
Laurier	MB	50°53′17.2″N 99°33′38.9″W
Ochre River	MB	51°3′37.1″N 99°46′47.6″W
Dauphin	MB	51°9′2.2″N 100°3′6.5″W
Gilbert Plains	MB	51°8′52.1″N 100°29′13.2″W
Grandview	MB	51°10′17.8″N 100°41′55.7″W
Roblin	MB	51°13′48.4″N 101°21′7.9″W
Togo	SK	51°24′26″N 101°35′25″W
Kamsack	SK	51°33′28″N 101°54′7″W
Veregin	SK	51°34′41.2″N 102°4′40.4″W
Mikado	SK	51°36′31″N 102°16′16″W
Canora	SK	51°38′15″N 102°26′13″W
Sturgis	SK	51°56′26″N 102°32′38″W
Endeavour, Saskatchewan	SK	52°9′38″N 102°39′29″W
Reserve	SK	52°28′0″N 102°39′4″W
Hudson Bay	SK	52°51′46.80″N 102°23′48.05″W
The Pas	MB	53°49′26.4″N 101°14′51.0″W
Tremaudan	MB	53°54′32.0″N 101°10′16.0″W
Orok	MB	53°57′28.1″N 101°3′25.9″W
Dering	MB	54°15′15.1″N 100°31′59.9″W
Finger	MB	54°0′24.8″N 100°52′26.0″W
Budd	MB	54°2′55.7″N 100°48′18.4″W
Halcrow	MB	54°10′37.9″N 100°37′28.9″W
Cormorant	MB	54°13′26.0″N 100°36′1.1″W
Dering	MB	54°15′15.1″N 100°31′59.9″W
Rawebb	MB	54°18′25.9″N 100°19′12.0″W
Dyce	MB	54°22′3.0″N 100°9′24.1″W
Paterson	MB	54°25′35.0″N 99°59′43.1″W
Wekusko	MB	54°30′11.9″N 99°45′4.0″W
Turnbull	MB	54°33′58.0″N 99°28′36.8″W
Ponton	MB	54°38′35.9″N 99°9′32.0″W
Button	MB	54°40′44.0″N 98°59′40.9″W
Dunlop	MB	54°44′39.1″N 98°51′42.8″W
Pipun	MB	54°50′19.0″N 98°45′13.0″W
Wabowden	MB	54°54′32.0″N 98°37′46.9″W
Lyddal	MB	55°1′45.8″N 98°24′52.9″W
Odhill	MB	55°6′27.0″N 98°13′30.0″W
Earchman	MB	55°9′24.1″N 98°6′31.0″W
La Perouse	MB	56°24′34.9″N 94°31′49.1″W
Hockin	MB	55°16′35.0″N 97°49′50.2″W
Thicket Portage	MB	55°19′5.2″N 97°41′12.8″W
Leven	MB	55°22′50.9″N 97°32′31.9″W
Thompson	MB	55°44′26.2″N 97°49′47.3″W
Sipiwesk	MB	55°27′20.2″N 97°24′25.9″W
Pikwitonei	MB	55°35′16.1″N 97°9′20.2″W
Bridgar	MB	55°38′12.8″N 97°3′42.1″W
Wilde	MB	55°43′35.0″N 96°48′46.1″W
Arnot	MB	55°46′1.9″N 96°41′4.9″W
Boyd	MB	55°52′40.1″N 96°28′21.0″W
Pit Siding	MB	55°54′33.8″N 96°19′3.0″W
Munk	MB	55°58′44.0″N 95°59′34.1″W
Ilford	MB	56°3′52.9″N 95°36′24.8″W
Nonsuch	MB	56°7′35.0″N 95°22′37.9″W
Wivenhoe	MB	56°10′35.0″N 95°12′46.1″W
Luke	MB	56°17′44.9″N 94°51′16.9″W
Gillam	MB	56°20′49.9″N 94°42′28.1″W
Bird	MB	56°30′13.0″N 94°12′38.2″W
Amery	MB	56°33′54.0″N 94°3′45.0″W
Weir River	MB	56°49′4.1″N 94°5′33.0″W
Thibaudeau	MB	57°4′26.0″N 94°8′40.9″W
Herchmer	MB	57°22′18.8″N 94°11′13.9″W
O'Day	MB	57°34′39.0″N 94°12′14.0″W
M'Clintock	MB	57°48′6.1″N 94°12′49.0″W
Tidal	MB	58°39′47.2″N 94°7′13.1″W
Churchill	MB	58°46′4.1″N 94°10′27.5″W

VIA Winnipeg-Churchill