Canada: SYSTRA Study Mandated to Upgrade Hudson Bay Railway Capacity
SYSTRA Canada has been selected by Hudson Bay Railway and Arctic Gateway Group to carry out a strategic study on capacity enhancements along the Hudson Bay Railway corridor, with the aim of bringing the network up to modern industrial axle-load standards so it can intertie seamlessly with Canada’s Class 1 rail network, SYSTRA said in an official corporate release.
The first phase of the study is already underway on the Flin Flon Subdivision, a roughly 140 km section linking Flin Flon to The Pas, Manitoba. It will be followed by a further study covering an additional 828.812 km of railway to the Port of Churchill.
SYSTRA said the objective is to evaluate current network capacity and identify improvements needed to support future traffic growth, particularly with heavier trains and rising operational demands. Its teams will support Arctic Gateway Group by assessing track, bridges and hydraulic structures; identifying capacity constraints; developing improvement scenarios aligned with future operating needs; and estimating the investment required to implement those improvements.
The work is structured in two phases. Phase 1 is a preliminary corridor assessment to identify critical areas and produce initial recommendations. Phase 2 is a detailed technical assessment with deeper engineering analysis and a prioritised infrastructure improvement programme. SYSTRA said this framework is intended to give Arctic Gateway Group a clear basis for future investment decisions.
According to the release, the mandate draws on SYSTRA Canada’s experience on high-capacity freight, mining and heavy-haul railways, covering railway engineering, capacity assessment, structural engineering for bridges and hydraulic works, and capital investment planning. The company said the project supports Arctic Gateway Group’s ambition to strengthen Hudson Bay Railway as a strategic Canadian trade corridor and to position the Port of Churchill as a major national export gateway for Western Canadian resources and products via Hudson Bay.
Guillaume Genin, Executive Vice President for Intercity & Heavy Rail at SYSTRA Canada, said the firm is pleased to begin the collaboration with Hudson Bay Railway and to support Arctic Gateway Group’s strategic ambitions for Manitoba and Canada.
SYSTRA presented the assignment as an important step in expanding its Canadian freight and heavy-rail activities. The release does not disclose the commercial value or calendar duration of the mandate, nor the precise investment envelope that may follow from the recommended upgrade programme.