Rail Sites

Industrial lands along the rail line

A number of industrial lands are available along the Cayuga rail line in Tillsonburg.

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Companies have long recognized the importance of rail for transporting inbound and outbound product from their location. Ontario’s shortline railways transport approximately $7.8 B worth of goods1 - everything from metals, lumber, agriculture and manufactured goods - on behalf of their customers each year.

The shortline rail operation known as the Cayuga Line, running through Delhi, Courtland, Tillsonburg and Aylmer, provided area businesses with convenient access to Canadian National (CN) transportation routes for decades. 

On January 6, 2022, GIO Rail, the Town of Tillsonburg and SCOR EDC announced that, in partnership with CN Rail, rail service from St. Thomas to Tillsonburg will be reinstated along the Cayuga Rail Sub-division, as part of the “Future of Shortline Rail” initiative.

Re-instating the rail service is good news for the significant number of businesses along the line. The reopened track will provide opportunities for new jobs and investment from companies looking for rail serviced sites to grow their business.

We can help you find a rail site.

Tillsonburg's Economic Development office can help you make the right connections and find the information you need.

Benefits of Rail Transportation

Businesses in proximity to rail-served lines benefit from this vital mode of transport. 

  • Rail transport can be cost effective. Today’s railways move 1 tonne of freight 1 kilometre for less than 3 cents2. Depending on the material inputs and products, rail transport can reduce costs for businesses.

  • Trains are capable of hauling large loads. This can be very beneficial for transporting bulky or heavy goods. 
  • Railways are reliable. Trains run on set schedules and aren’t hindered by traffic, road closures or bad weather the same way trucks are.

  • Shipping via train is more environmentally friendly. Trains, on average, are four to five times more fuel-efficient than trucks3. Just one locomotive can haul a tonne of goods more than 210 kilometres on a single litre of fuel, while removing upwards of 300 trucks from our congested roads in the process4.  Rail transportation reduces high-carbon fuel consumption and produces less greenhouse gas emissions.

1 (Source: Railway Association of Canada, Ontario Shortline Railway Profile)
2 (Source: Railway Association of Canada, Shortline Railways: Canada’s Green Transportation Infrastructure)
3 (Source: Railway Association of Canada, Rail is Green Transportation
4 (Source: Railway Association of Canada, Rail is Green Tra

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