Return of Northlander train service could include new connection to Cochrane, Ont.
Onatrio’s Progressive Conservative authorities has introduced it has earmarked $75 million to revive passenger rail service to northeastern Ontario.
The Northlander prepare service, which operated from Toronto to Cochrane and northeast of Timmins, was cancelled by the Liberal authorities in 2012. The choice was met with criticism by native politicians together with Timmins-James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson and Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof.
Riders additionally advocated the service was important to accessing city centres for issues like procuring and medical appointments.
The cash, introduced on Sunday afternoon, might be break up over the following three years, mentioned Corina Moore, president and CEO of Ontario Northland. She mentioned it can take care of passenger coaches, infrastructure and stations.
For Cochrane, I consider that is some excellent information.— Denis Clement, mayor of Cochrane, Ont.
“For too lengthy hardworking individuals and households in northern Ontario have not been handled correctly,” Ford mentioned, “They have not had the identical alternatives as the remainder of the province.”
“It has been a full decade, ten lengthy years, for the reason that earlier authorities selected to shut down the Northlander passenger line. In doing so that they reduce Timmins and northeastern Ontario from the remainder of the province,” he mentioned.
Final fall, the federal government introduced its determination to make Timmins, Ont., the route’s terminus station. The transfer did not sit nicely with some constituents and municipal management.
Daniel Belisle, a municipal councillor in Cochrane, Ont., mentioned on the time that it solely made sense that the prepare’s terminus station be situated in Cochrane, Ont. as the restore services for the prepare are situated in municipality.

Replace to preliminary plan
Now, Ontario Northland mentioned it has up to date its preliminary plan in partnership with the Ontario authorities and Metrolinx.
“This plan will convey a rail connection from Toronto to Timmins, offering a vital hyperlink for the individuals residing within the north,” mentioned Corina Moore, president and CEO of Ontario Northland.
“There can even be a linked prepare service from Cochrane to Timmins,” she mentioned, “Offering a direct hyperlink from the Polar Bear Categorical passengers travelling from Moosonee and the First Nations communities on the James Bay coast.”
The federal government mentioned it estimates the doable route might attain a further 5,300 riders and would supply a connection to the Polar Bear Categorical service to Moosonee.
Moore added that contemplating the estimated 137 per cent improve within the area’s inhabitants aged 80 and up over the following 25 years, the reinstated service will present a significant hyperlink to healthcare and different providers.
It means getting the place you should go, whether or not it is for enterprise or financial growth, to maintain individuals linked, to maintain hospital connections.— Lucille Frith, co-chair of the Northeastern Ontario Rail Community
‘We have been lobbying’
“For Cochrane, I consider that is some excellent information,” mentioned Denis Clement, mayor of Cochrane, Ont.
“We have been lobbying the federal government, ever for the reason that announcement that the passenger rail service would come out of Timmins,” he mentioned, “Cochrane already has a terminal, we have already got the tracks.”
“The oldsters from Moosonee come proper from Moosonee to Cochrane and it might actually make their lives a lot easier,” Clement mentioned.
Lucille Frith is the co-chair of the Northeastern Ontario Rail Community, an area advocacy group. She mentioned that the announcement is welcome information, particularly contemplating the promise to reinstate the service was initially made by Ford on the marketing campaign path in 2018.

“It means getting the place you should go, whether or not it is for enterprise or financial growth, to maintain individuals linked, to maintain hospital connections,” she mentioned, “The truth is the railroad operates twelve months of the yr, the place the highways do not.”
Frith mentioned whereas it does value extra to help transit in distant areas like northeastern Ontario, she mentioned that the demand is robust. She mentioned cancelling the service in 2012 was a mistake that’s now being corrected.
“The individuals of northern Ontario want the identical connections with the remainder of Canada, it isn’t simply southern Ontario,” Frith mentioned.
“Financial progress will occur now as a result of individuals will transfer north to do their enterprise work as a result of they will hold their reference to the southern Ontario household, the scholars will go to northern universities now as a result of they will hop on a prepare as a substitute of a 24-hour bus connection path to get again dwelling for the weekend,” she mentioned.
The province mentioned it continues to eye an in-service date of 2025. They mentioned the the service might be supplied on seasonal journey calls for and can vary from 4 and 7 days per week between northern Ontario and Toronto.