In April 1871 the Prince Edward Island Legislature approved the Railway Construction Bill authorizing construction of a railway throughout the Island. The financial burden of such an undertaking was one of the major considerations for PEI joining Confederation two years later. Somewhat erratic service was provided by the contractors until the railway was turned over to Thomas Swinyard, Dominion Government Commissioner, in December 1874. Trains running according to an established timetable began in April 1875 from Charlottetown to Summerside, Georgetown and Souris return and from Summerside to Tignish. The branch line to Murray Harbour and intermediate stations was built following the construction of the Hillsborough Bridge in 1902. By the end of World War I, the PEI Railway extended to branch stations in Souris, Elmira and Cape Traverse. The Intercolonial Railway and PEI Railway became known as the Canadian Government Railways in the early 1890s and remained as such until amalgamated with the Canadian Northern Railways to form Canadian National Railways in December 1918.