Reposted from Trains Newswire at Trains.com:

GATINEAU, Que. - The Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train Co. is shut down indefinitely following a landslide this past weekend, the Ottawa (Ont.) Citizen reported. The tourist hauler said it will conduct an engineering study to determine if the line is safe.

A spokesman for the railroad's owner said the line faces increasing costs, and the landslide makes continued operation difficult. "Insurance is [C]$98,000 and improvements to level some crossings will cost $75,000," he said. "The owner is fed up with pumping money into a money pit and is about to pull the plug. If things don't shape up, that could be the end of the steam train."

The landslide is about 35-40 feet from the right-of-way in a wooded area of Chelsea. The track is owned by the government of Quebec. No estimate is yet available on how much repairs would cost or when the line will be reopened.

For more information on the company, visit http://www.steamtrain.ca/.