Springhill Junction, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Springhill Junction is a Canadian
rural community in central Cumberland County
, Nova Scotia
approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of Springhill, Nova Scotia
.
In 1872 the Intercolonial Railway of Canada
constructed its Truro, NS
-Moncton, NB mainline through the area at the persuasion of the Spring Hill & Parrsborough Coal & Railway Company Ltd.
, creating a diversion several miles to the south of the preferred route running between Oxford Junction, NS
and Amherst, NS
.
The community received its name in 1877 following completion of the Springhill & Parrsboro Railway which ran south to the mining town of Springhill
and on to the Bay of Fundy
port of Parrsboro
. The SP&P changed its name to the Cumberland Railway & Coal Company Ltd.
in 1884 and operated under this name through the closure of the coal mines in Springhill in 1958 and the abandonment of the railway line south of Southampton to Parrsboro on June 14, 1958. The railway continued limited services between Southampton, Springhill and Springhill Junction until permission to abandon the remaining line was granted in February, 1962. The last of the rails from the Springhill to Springhill Junction line were lifted in 1964.
The Intercolonial Railway in the meantime was operated as part of the Canadian Government Railways
after 1915 and was fully merged into the Canadian National Railways (CNR) in 1918.
Today Springhill Junction remains a siding on CN Rail's Halifax-Montreal mainline and a flag stop for Via Rail
's Ocean
passenger train. The official name still contains the word "junction", despite the fact that the CR&C was abandoned in 1962, making the community a run-through location on CN's mainline.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rural community in central Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Nova Scotia
Cumberland County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:The name Cumberland was applied by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Monckton to the captured Fort Beauséjour on June 18, 1755 in honour of the third son of King George II, William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, victor at...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of Springhill, Nova Scotia
Springhill, Nova Scotia
-Coal mining:The first industrial coal mining in the area took place in the 1870s after a rail connection was built by the Springhill and Parrsboro Coal and Railway Company to the newly completed Intercolonial Railway at neighbouring Springhill Junction....
.
In 1872 the Intercolonial Railway of Canada
Intercolonial Railway of Canada
The Intercolonial Railway of Canada , also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway , was a historic Canadian railway that operated from 1872 to 1918, when it became part of Canadian National Railways...
constructed its Truro, NS
Truro, Nova Scotia
-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
-Moncton, NB mainline through the area at the persuasion of the Spring Hill & Parrsborough Coal & Railway Company Ltd.
Cumberland Railway and Coal Company
The Cumberland Railway and Coal Company is a defunct Canadian industrial company with interests in coal mines in Springhill, Nova Scotia, and a railway that operated from Springhill Junction to Parrsboro.-Spring Hill and Parrsborough Coal and Railway Company:...
, creating a diversion several miles to the south of the preferred route running between Oxford Junction, NS
Oxford Junction, Nova Scotia
Oxford Junction is a Canadian rural community in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, which lies approximately 5 kilometers to the southwest of the town of Oxford....
and Amherst, NS
Amherst, Nova Scotia
Amherst is a Canadian town in northwestern Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.Located at the northeast end of the Cumberland Basin, an arm of the Bay of Fundy, Amherst is strategically situated on the eastern boundary of the Tantramar Marshes 3 kilometres east of the interprovincial border with New...
.
The community received its name in 1877 following completion of the Springhill & Parrsboro Railway which ran south to the mining town of Springhill
Springhill, Nova Scotia
-Coal mining:The first industrial coal mining in the area took place in the 1870s after a rail connection was built by the Springhill and Parrsboro Coal and Railway Company to the newly completed Intercolonial Railway at neighbouring Springhill Junction....
and on to the Bay of Fundy
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy is a bay on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine...
port of Parrsboro
Parrsboro, Nova Scotia
Parrsboro is a Canadian town located in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.The town is known for its port on the Minas Basin, the Ship's Company Theatre productions and the Fundy Geological Museum.-History:...
. The SP&P changed its name to the Cumberland Railway & Coal Company Ltd.
Cumberland Railway and Coal Company
The Cumberland Railway and Coal Company is a defunct Canadian industrial company with interests in coal mines in Springhill, Nova Scotia, and a railway that operated from Springhill Junction to Parrsboro.-Spring Hill and Parrsborough Coal and Railway Company:...
in 1884 and operated under this name through the closure of the coal mines in Springhill in 1958 and the abandonment of the railway line south of Southampton to Parrsboro on June 14, 1958. The railway continued limited services between Southampton, Springhill and Springhill Junction until permission to abandon the remaining line was granted in February, 1962. The last of the rails from the Springhill to Springhill Junction line were lifted in 1964.
The Intercolonial Railway in the meantime was operated as part of the Canadian Government Railways
Canadian Government Railways
Canadian Government Railways was the legal name used between 1915–1918 for all federal government-owned railways in Canada.The principal component companies were: the Intercolonial Railway of Canada , the National Transcontinental Railway , the Prince Edward Island Railway , and the Hudson...
after 1915 and was fully merged into the Canadian National Railways (CNR) in 1918.
Today Springhill Junction remains a siding on CN Rail's Halifax-Montreal mainline and a flag stop for Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
's Ocean
Ocean (passenger train)
The Ocean is a Canadian passenger train operated by Via Rail between Montreal, Quebec and Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is currently the oldest continuously-operated named passenger train in North America. The Oceans schedule takes approximately 21 hours, running overnight in both directions...
passenger train. The official name still contains the word "junction", despite the fact that the CR&C was abandoned in 1962, making the community a run-through location on CN's mainline.