Railways in

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
and Prince Edward Island

VIA Rail train approaching Amherst, Nova Scotia

National Operators

• VIA Rail Canada passenger service:
  • The Ocean Montreal (Quebec) to Halifax
• CN freight services

International Services

• NBM Railways crosses the St John River between Van Buren, Maine and St Leonard, New Brunswick, where it connects with CN
• NBM Railways crosses the US border between Vanceboro, Maine and St Croix, New Brunswick
• NBM Railways crosses the US border three times between Milltown (near St Stephen), New Brunswick and Woodland, Maine. There is no direct connection with any other railway in the US.

Local and Regional Freight Operators

• Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway Truro, Nova Scotia (interchange with CN) via Stellarton (branch to Abercrombie), New Glasgow (branch to Trenton) and Port Hawkesbury (local branches) to Point Tupper, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Total length of line about 147 miles (236 km). A further 95 miles (153 km) from Point Tupper to Sydney is currently out of service but retained for possible future reopening
• Sydney Coal Railway from the harbour at Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia to the Nova Scotia Power generating plant at Lingan. Total length of line about 22 miles (36 km). Operated by Savage CANAC (Website contains no specific details of railway)
• NBM Railways
  • St John (interchange with CN) via McAdam (branch via St Stephen to Woodland, Maine) and St Croix to destinations in the US
  • St Leonard (interchange with CN) via the Van Buren Bridge to destinations in the US

Museum Railways

• Elmira Railway Museum Elmira, Prince Edward Island. Short rides in works vehicles or handcars and a miniature railway. Operate daily during the summer months.

Light Rail

In 2024, a feasibility study was carried out for a light rail line in the Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia area. An initial segment would run from Sydney River to Cape Breton University, using tracks of the Sydney Coal Railway and a currently disused section of the Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway. Extensions are proposed for the future.

• Sydney proposed light rail