This railway received its charter in 1884, and on July 1, 1888, began service between Westport and Brockville, a distance of 73 km. Lack of funds prevented the extension of this ambitious line toward its intended destination, Sault Ste. Marie, but it operated for 15 years.

In 1903, unable to meet obligations incurred during construction, it was taken over by an American trust company and reorganized as the Brockville, Westport and North-Western Railway. That company was purchased in 1910 by the Canadian Northern which was itself merged in 1923 with the C.N.R.

The last train to run on this line left Westport on August 30, 1952. 

Brockville, Westport & Sault Ste Marie (1886), an interesting little railroad with very big ambitions.  The last of the railways built into Brockville and the first to go.  It was built simply because of the tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit of Robert G. Hervey, a native of Maitland, Ont.  Hervey had previously made his reputation with the Illinois Midland Railway and the Decatur National Bank of Illinois.  He was about to lose it all with the BW&SSM.