Is this Nova Scotia? I ask because I've often wondered over Stan Rogers' song "Guysborough Train" which seems to be about a planned but never completed railroad line.
Things I never expected: reference to Stan Rogers on HN.
I believe your interpretation is the generally accepted one. Stan was from Guysborough and as I understand it, the rail line was started, quite a lot of progress made, and then never finished so there was a lot of displeasure from the locals at the constant reminders of the failure of the government to make good on their promise to deliver the railroad.
At the time I never knew of its history or my family history with it until my Dad gave me a metal box. In it were old family documents, pictures, mementos mostly from my great-grandfather. He worked on the railroad but I had never know about it I barely even knew his father my grandfather.
Even more historically powerful my province which at the time was not a province of Canada had massive debt due to railroad construction costs. We only joined Canadian Confederation to get the debt paid off and since it is an island a promise to have year-round access to the mainland.