TEMISKAMING SHORES – It’s full steam ahead for the return of the Northlander passenger train with work progressing on a new Temiskaming Shores passenger shelter at the former site of the Ontario Northland station off Jaffray Street.
The shelter will be one of nine along the route, including ones in Temagami. Matheson, Swastika, South River, Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Washago.
The shelters will provide passengers with a “safe, accessible space to wait for the train,” Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) officials said in an information package.
“The shelters will be equipped with ample lighting, real-time train arrival updates, CCTV security cameras and Wi-Fi access, offering a consistent, modern experience for passengers travelling along the corridor.”
These shelters will complement three existing stations in Englehart, North Bay and Cochrane which are currently undergoing accessibility upgrades and platform improvements to prepare for the return of passenger service.
Work on the shelters and stations follows another important milestone with the recently completed bypass at the busy North Bay rail yard. The 982-metre track will improve travel times by 15 minutes to North Bay station.
Officials are hoping to relaunch the passenger rail service by next year, more than a decade-and-a-half after the original Northlander was cancelled as a provincial government cost-cutting measure in 2012. The current provincial government announced a $75 million investment to bring back the Northlander in 2022 and has already contracted new trains and infrastructure upgrades. Work is also under way upgrading the Northern terminal station in Timmins.
Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof, a staunch advocate for the return of passenger rail service for the north, praised the ONTC for its work and acknowledged the efforts of the current Ontario Conservative government in bringing it back. While the NDP MPP said his job is to critique the provincial government, there are times to also give credit where it’s due.
“We are supportive (of the Northlander plan),” he said.
“Losing the Northlander was a stake in our hearts and we have been pushing relentlessly (for its return.)”
Vanthof said he is eager to see the pricing for the new rail service and will work with the province and the ONTC to try to ensure the Northlander is an affordable option to attract usage. Under its previous incarnation, the service had become too expensive for many potential passengers, contributing to its dwindling ridership, he suggested.
Vanthof said efforts must also continue to promote rail usage, not just for people, but for goods and services. This dovetails with another of his priorities – promoting road safety in Northern Ontario.
“Everyone in the North wants to get trucks off the road,” he said, adding rail can play an important role.
