Historical Information - Present Day

On January 1, 1981, CN (name/initialism change after 1960) bought out CPR's share in the NAR system and incorporated these lines into the CN network, allowing CN to operate unhindered north from Edmonton to Hay River, Northwest Territories, and west to Dawson Creek, British Columbia. NAR disappeared as a corporate entity with the departure of CPR from the joint ownership. NAR shops and Dunvegan Yards in Edmonton were demolished and the new Dunvegan Woods housing development was built on the site.

In 1996, CN identified parts of its former NAR trackage for divestiture, either through sale or abandonment. Several lines were subsequently sold to shortline operators.

• Swan Landing, Alberta (near Jasper) to Grande Prairie, Alberta (the former Alberta Resources Railway) and west to Hythe, Alberta (west of Grande Prairie on the NAR) was operated by Alberta Railnet (ARN), which was owned by North American Railnet, and later renamed to the Savage Alberta Railway (SAR). On December 1, 2006, CN announced that it had purchased Savage Alberta Railway for $25 million and that it had begun operating the railway the same day.^[1] CN had also maintained ownership of the portion between Hythe, Alberta, and Dawson Creek, British Columbia, where it connects to former BC Rail trackage. The trackage between Hythe and Dawson Creek fell into disuse in 1998, but CN agreed to re-open it as a condition of purchasing BC Rail.

• Edmonton to Boyle (south of Fort McMurray) was purchased in 1997 by the Lakeland and Waterways Railway (LWR), a subsidiary of Canadian shortline holding company RailLink. RailLink was subsequently purchased by RailAmerica.

• Boyle, Alberta, to Fort McMurray, Alberta, is now operated by Athabasca Northern Railway and is owned by shortline operator Cando Contracting.^[2]

• CN maintains ownership of former NAR trackage between Edmonton and Smith, Alberta.

• North and west of Smith, Alberta, the former NAR to Peace River, Alberta, and Grimshaw, Alberta, as well as all of the ex-Great Slave Railway north from Grimshaw, Alberta, to Hay River, Northwest Territories, was purchased in 1998 by the Mackenzie Northern Railway (MKNR), a subsidiary of Canadian shortline holding company RailLink. RailLink was subsequently purchased by RailAmerica.

• On January 19, 2006, CN announced the purchase from RailAmerica Inc. of the Mackenzie Northern Railway, the Lakeland & Waterways Railway, and the Central Western Railway (jointly known as RLGN/CWRL).