AGG completes upgrades to improve Hudson Bay Railway operations

The Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) completed a record amount of improvements to the Hudson Bay Railway during the 2024 construction season, improving the operational efficiency and cutting travel time.

AGG owns and operates the Port of Churchill, Canada’s only Arctic seaport served by rail, on the west coast of Hudson Bay. The railroad operates along 627 miles from The Pas to Churchill, Manitoba.

During the 2024 construction season, AGG completed improvements on the railroad to prepare for an upcoming redevelopment of the Port of Churchill. The upgrades position AGG for growth and expansion — especially related to mineral imports — in the future, AGG officials said in a press release.

AGG met and surpassed several measures of improvements on the railroad, including:

• completion of 2.3 million feet of spot surfacing, which keeps the track level and safe for heavy loads. This is an increase of over 1 million feet from last year;

• installation of 119,965 new railroad ties, surpassing the 105,687 ties installed in 2023;

• rehabilitation of three crossings, including a double track crossing in Churchill Port, and 11 switch upgrades. This type of improvement was not performed last year; and

• over 1,600 cars of ballast unloaded, a similar amount as last year.

As a result of the improvements, AGG reports that travel time on the Hudson Bay Railroad between The Pas and Churchill has been cut by 10%. For the first time in two decades, Manitoba minerals were shipped out of the Port of Churchill, amassing 10,000 tons sent to European markets.