Currently, there are more than 2,000 km of railways under provincial jurisdiction which include shortline railways moving grain, oil and wood products; industrial railways providing service to facilities and amusement railways providing educational tours within some of Saskatchewan's heritage parks. 

Shortline rail offers an important link between remote delivery points to mainline rail carriers such as CN and CP Railways, which move the products to port. These rail lines operate in accordance with The Railway Act and the Provincial Railway Guides. The Ministry administers and enforces the Act.

Rail Services administers, enforces the Railway Act and provides the following services: 

• enforce provincial railway legislation and regulation through safety inspections, accident investigations and monitoring of railway related activities and infrastructure
• provide technical assistance, advisory services and facilitation in interactions between provincial railways, shippers, federal railways, federal and provincial government agencies and road authorities
• facilitate the preservation and development of a provincial railway network to provide optimum service to provincial stakeholders
• encourage and assist in research, development and implementation of technological and operational advancement in railway safety and operations
• administer the provincial financial assistance programs for railway development and acquisition
• assist with general information on any rail operation dealing with the Canadian Transportation Agency, Transport Canada and federal railways.

The Rail Services Unit also administers the provincial financial assistance programs through The Railway Line (Short Line) Financial Assistance Regulation for railway development and acquisition, along with the Shortline Railway Sustainability Program (SRSP). 

For more information, contact: Rail Services