Last Mountain Railway (reporting mark LMR) is a Canadian short line railway company operating in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a subsidiary of Mobil Grain Ltd.
Overview
The Last Mountain Railway operates approximately 85 miles (137 km) of track between the cities of Regina and Davidson in south-central Saskatchewan. The railway was established in 2009 when it took over operations of trackage that had previously been operated by Canadian National Railway (CN). The line forms part of the former CN Craik Subdivision, which historically linked Regina and Saskatoon. The railway interlines with Canadian National at both Regina and Davidson.
According to the company's own materials, the line continues north from Davidson to Saskatoon as the CN Craik Subdivision. The Last Mountain Railway interchanges primarily with CN in Davidson, with some intermittent traffic interchanged through CN Regina. The railway has a running rights agreement with CN providing access to its affiliate railroad, Big Sky Rail.
Operations
The railway is used primarily for the haulage of grain gathered along the line. It has also been described as the only direct railway link between Saskatchewan's two major cities, Regina and Saskatoon. Freight railway stations along the line include Davidson, Girvin, Craik, Aylesbury, Chamberlain, Findlater, Bethune, Disley, Lumsden, Condie, and Regina.
Fleet
According to the company website, the rail fleet—shared with affiliate Big Sky Rail—consists of 13 SD40-type locomotives and 765 Saskatchewan grain hopper cars, along with track maintenance equipment, hi-rail vehicles, and gondola cars. A documented locomotive roster includes units of various models including GE 70-ton switchers, B23-7 units, SD40-3, SD40M-2, and SD40-2 locomotives, many acquired from major North American railroads such as Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Southern, and Canadian National. All locomotives used on the LMR are owned by Mobil Grain and are also utilized on its sister company, Big Sky Rail Corp.
Corporate Affiliates
The Last Mountain Railway operates within the broader Mobil Grain corporate structure. Affiliate operations include:
- Big Sky Rail — approximately 250 miles of track located southwest of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, connected to the CN network.
- MobilEx Terminal — a loop-track port facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario, that handles grain and potash.
- Intermobil — a facility in Regina, Saskatchewan, equipped with large rail-mounted gantry cranes that handles CN intermodal traffic.
Organizational Membership
The Last Mountain Railway is a member of the Railway Association of Canada and reports compliance with applicable safety regulations. It is also affiliated with the Western Canadian Short Line Railway Association.
Historical Context
The route operated by the Last Mountain Railway is historically associated with the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railroad and Steamboat Company, which constructed rail infrastructure in the region during the late 19th century. The current short line operation represents a transfer of the former CN mainline segment into regional short line ownership in the 21st century.
