It was initially built as a horse-drawn railroad with wooden rails, and a gauge of 5 ft 6 in.

[2] Founded in 1831, the railroad's charter was modified by the Ontario government in 1852, authorizing it to expand to the Niagara River, construct branch lines, and connect to other railroads.

[3] Following this change to its charter, and the company's purchase by businessman Samuel Zimmerman, steam power replaced horses in 1854.

[4] In 1863, the railroad was purchased by William Alexander Thomson, owner of the Fort Erie Railway Company which had recently begun operations nearby.

The railroad ceased to be its own company when it was formally absorbed by the Canada Southern in 1889.