Network evolution: the origins, development and effectiveness of Manitoba's railway system

Abstract

This thesis examines the characteristics of railway infrastructure development and associated issues in Manitoba, Canada. The period under consideration dates from when the first tracks were laid in 1878 through to the completion of the Hudson Bay Railway in 1929. Setting the scene is a template for railway development in general, one that allows hypotheses to be drawn that are specific to Manitoba. In order to test those hypotheses it is necessary to first provide a comprehensive overview of the historical evolution of the railway network. Next, aspects of graph theory are reviewed, identifying the methodology most appropriate for a spatial analysis of railway networks. This analysis attempts to draw conclusions about the relationship between the railway companies and the governments, people and geography that they were compelled to deal with. The testing of these forms revealed that while the Manitoba railway network is very complex, it never arrived at the maximum possible complexity.