The railway runs for 43 km (27 mi) from the port of Havre-Saint-Pierre on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River inland to a massive ilmenite (titanium iron) deposit at Lac Allard. At Havre-Saint-Pierre, the mineral is loaded aboard bulk carriers and shipped upriver to the port of Sorel-Tracy. COGEMA operates a train ferry that connect with the line.[1] QIT also operates passenger trains for workers, as the mine is not accessible by road.[2]
The Romaine River Railway began operating in 1949 and is owned and operated by QIT-Fer et Titane, which is a subdivision of the Anglo-Australian company Rio Tinto Group.[3]