By that point, Clergue's dream of building a railway to Hudson Bay or James Bay had long been abandoned, and the railway's northern terminus remained at Hearst, around from James Bay. However, the phrase and Hudson Bay was not removed from the railway's name until June 30, 1965. The Algoma Central was the first Canadian railway to operate fully with diesel fuel, in 1952. The railway had been in the shipping business since 1900, when it had purchased four steamships. Starting during the 1960s, the railway greatly expanded its marine operations and diversified into trucking, real estate, forestry, and mining operations. These operations were more profitable than the railway operations, and on April 30, 1990, as part of a corporate reorganization, the name of the company was changed to Algoma Central Corporation, with the Algoma Central Railway becoming one of its subsidiaries. A few years later, the Algoma Central Railway was put up for sale. Wisconsin Central and Canadian National eras On February 1, 1995, Wisconsin Central Ltd. purchased Algoma Central Railway Incorporated, operating the railway as a separate subsidiary, Wisconsin Central Canada Holdings. In 1998, Algoma Steel closed its iron ore mine in Wawa and the branch line between Michipicoten Harbour and Hawk Junction was abandoned. Wisconsin Central Ltd. was acquired by Canadian National on October 9, 2001, whereupon the Algoma Central became part of CN's Eastern Division. In January 2014, CN announced it was cutting the service from Sault Ste. Marie to Hearst, blaming the Canadian federal government for cutting a subsidy necessary to keep the service running. The passenger service, which runs three days per week, provides year-round access to remote tourist camps and resorts. The average annual ridership is estimated to be 10,600 passengers. It has been argued in the past as an essential service; however, the service has always been deemed financially uneconomic. In February, a working group attempting to save the line hired BDO Canada LLP, an accounting firm, to assess the financial impact to the region when the service is scheduled to end April 29. The working group, composed of municipalities, first nations, and cottager associations, all had a vested interest in the continuation of the service. According to preliminary findings, BDO determined passenger rail service in the Algoma district generates between $38 million and $48 million in annual economic activity. It supports as many as 220 jobs and delivers more than $5