This route was constructed in 1883 by the Red River and Lake of the Woods Railway, itself being purchased by the Saint Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad later that year. Under the control of the Great Northern Railway at the time, this route allowed additional access to the Red River Valley area against primary competitor Northern Pacific Railway.

In 1904, a deal was struck between the competing railroads that allowed GN access over a parallel NP line, now also abandoned, rendering this line redundant. It was abandoned in stages under GN: between Ives and Shirley in 1906, Wylie and Ives in 1907, and the final segment between St. Hilaire and Wylie in 1943.