For facility owners, developers & procurement teams
Plan your rail project.
A practical starting point for new industrial spurs, yard expansions, and loop tracks in Western Canada.
Start with the operation. Then define the work.
Turn a business need into a clear construction brief: describe the operation, establish responsibilities, organize the scope, and agree how the finished track will be accepted.
01
Define the operation
Describe what the track must serve: commodities, car types, traffic, loading areas, and your target operating date.
Bring to the conversation: Facility location, site contact, connecting railway, and an outline of the business need.
02
Establish the boundaries
Separate track installation from civil preparation, drainage, utilities, material supply, and railway connection requirements.
Bring to the conversation: Available layouts, surveys, drawings, and a list of responsibilities still to agree.
03
Prepare the bid scope
Set out quantities, access, staging, work windows, procurement requirements, and the information bidders will receive.
Bring to the conversation: Approximate track length, turnouts, material specifications where known, and the bid deadline.
04
Agree delivery and handover
Confirm the installation scope, acceptance requirements, documentation, and interfaces before committing to the construction window.
Bring to the conversation: Named decision-makers, owner and railway requirements, and inspection or testing expectations.
What do you have ready?
Use the checklist to organize an enquiry. Mark the topics you can discuss and carry the summary into the contact form.
Tick the information you have. Your enquiry can include what is ready and what still needs confirming.
0 of 9 topics ready to discuss
Your selections stay on this page until you open the enquiry form. No account needed.
Review the contractor. Review the scope.
Look at documented work and published capabilities alongside the proposed construction scope. Confirm project-specific credentials and owner requirements during vendor review.
Documented construction project
Coaldale Industrial Rail Spur
Read the public project record and planning considerations for similar work.
Review this projectConstruction planning questions
Do I need finished drawings before contacting Ironhorse?
No. Start with your site location, intended use, target dates, and the information you have. Tell the team what is still being developed. The details needed for a firm bid can then be discussed.
What affects the price of a new rail spur?
Scope and quantities, turnouts, site preparation, drainage, materials, access, transport, and the available work window all affect the brief. Use a project-specific bid rather than a generic price per metre.
How long will railway construction take?
A useful schedule depends on the agreed scope, railway interfaces, site readiness, material availability, crew and equipment availability, and permitted work windows. Share your target operating date so these dependencies can be discussed.
Who handles railway interfaces and site preparation?
Identify a responsible party for railway coordination, design requirements, civil work, drainage, utilities, materials, track installation, and acceptance. Confirm the boundaries with the owner, railway, and contractor rather than assuming every item is included.
What should I compare when reviewing construction bids?
Compare included work, quantities, supplied materials, transport and mobilization, operating constraints, exclusions, acceptance requirements, and stated assumptions. Ask bidders to clarify different scope boundaries before comparing totals.
This guide is a planning aid. Confirm the final scope, responsibilities, and applicable requirements with your project team.
Connecting railway planning resources
Railway connections have their own development and approval processes. Consult the connecting railway early and confirm the requirements for your site.
Start with the site and the goal.
Tell Ironhorse where the work is, what the track needs to do, and when you want it operating. You can discuss the remaining details with the team.