The Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway is a Canadian regional railway that stretches 357 miles (575 kilometres) through the wilderness of northeastern Quebec and western Labrador. It is owned by the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC).
Built between 1951 and 1954, the QNSL originally connected the port of Sept Iles, Quebec on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River with the mining community of Schefferville, Quebec , its northern terminus. In 1958, the Wabush ore body near Labrador City began to be mined by both IOC and the Wabush Mining Company . QNSL built a line west from Ross Bay Jct., NL on its main line west to Carole Lake, NL , near Wabush, NL , to serve its mines, with service on this branch beginning in 1960.
At the same time, Wabush Mining Co. built the relatively short Wabush Lake Railway from its mines at Labrador City, NL to the QNSL connection at Wabush, NL. QNSL hauls its own traffic from Wabush and Carole Lake to IOC port facilities at Sept Iles, QC. QNSL hauls Wabush Lake Railway traffic from the interchange at Wabush, NL to Arnaud Jct., QC , near Sept Iles, QC, where it interchanges to the Arnaud Railway, which completes the journey around Sept Iles Harbour to Wabush Mining Co. port facilities at Point Noire, QC .
In the 1980s, ore at Schefferville, QC was mostly mined out. The QNSL lines see some general freight and remote service passenger trains. The main line north of Ross Bay Jct., NL is still in place but sees little service to Schefferville as most residents have relocated.