Restoring the Northlander train service to northeastern Ontario was a promise then-premier hopeful Doug Ford made on the campaign trail in 2018.
The provincial government finally offered up tangible proof today by unveiling the first of three train sets, built by Siemens, that will ride the rails between Union Station and Timmins when the passenger service launches some time later this year.
“You’re heroes in the North today,” said Kapuskasing Mayor Dave Plourde in shaking Premier Doug Ford’s hand at a media event at at VIA Rail’s maintenance shop in Etobicoke, Jan. 8.
Plourde was among a collection of grateful mayors from central and northeastern Ontario on hand to celebrate the return of an iconic passenger rail service that was unceremoniously axed by the Ontario government in 2012. Declining ridership coupled with rising operating costs were cited by the government of the day.
Huntsville Coun. Bob Stone called the return of passenger rail a “game-changer” in boosting tourism, his community's major industry.
For Kirkland Lake Mayor Stacy Wight, the Northlander will mean continuous, uninterrupted service for postsecondary students, including for her youngest child, enrolled at York University in Toronto.
When travelling home, Wight said bus service for her son ends at North Bay, leaving her to drive 240 kilometres down Highway 11 to pick him up.
“It was a six-hour journey to get here. This announcement is not only going to make students’ lives better but all the North’s lives better.”
The Ford government is framing the 2026 return of the Northlander as supporting economic opportunities and helping to deliver prosperity to the North. For the 16 community stops along the 740-kilometre-long route, it will mean an enhancement for the tourism sector and a transportation option to support the North’s expected boom in the energy and mining sectors.
There will be a connection to Cochrane to link up with the Polar Bear Express to Moosonee. Some supporting infrastructure in North Bay and Timmins is already in place.
The province earmarked $75 million in 2022 for the initial infrastructure and $139.5 million for the train sets. Annual operating costs come in at $283 million. Annual revenues are projected at $93 million, requiring government subsidies.
“The Northlander is more than a train; it’s a lifeline to jobs, education, family and friends and so much more,” said Ford.
The cancellation, he said, left many Northerners “stranded” for the tens of thousands of riders who depended on it for affordable travel to southern Ontario.
The 169-seat train will remain in Etobicoke for a time for testing and commissioning work before it heads north to be put through its paces on the northern stretch of the corridor.
Cochrane Mayor Peter Politis said with the Canadian economy being reshaped, led by the natural resource industry, providing better access to this region is key.
“We need to be able to move people … in an effective way.”
Northern Ontario comprises 92 per cent of the province’s land mass, holds only six per cent of its population, yet provides a wealth of mineral opportunity, he said.
Politis predicts more people will move into this region as thousands of mining jobs will be created.
“Where are they going to live? How are they going to get there? How are their families going to get back and forth?”
“Smart” governments, he said, recognize the importance of supporting the mineral resource industry and supportive communities with better north-south connections.
“This is a jewel in Ontario that is long overdue to develop, and long overdue to connect with the mainstream.”
The event took place two months shy of the 14th anniversary of the Northlander’s controversial cancellation.
The day served up an opportunity for Ford and Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s economic developer minister, to take some swipes at the previous McGuinty and Wynne governments, claiming they had ignored and neglected the people in Northern Ontario.
Fedeli, the MP for Nipissing, then sitting in Opposition at Queen’s Park, was outraged when the news broke of the Northlander’s cancellation.
The Ontario Northland Transportation Commission is headquartered in North Bay where Fedeli was mayor from 2003 to 2010. The Crown corporation is a local cornerstone employer.
Fedeli maintains it was part of a provincial effort to starve the Crown transportation agency of rail coach refurbishment contracts, sell off individual corporate assets to the private sector, and the eventual divestiture by the government.
“They never invested in the Northlander. They let it run down. They didn’t have good times for departures. They never paid attention to it.”
A provincial auditor general’s report in 2013 claimed it would cost Ontario taxpayers more to kill the service than in finding any real savings. Bonnie Lysyk also questioned the government’s numbers and rationale for eliminating the Northlander.
Passenger rail service was eventually cut and the telecommunications side of Ontario Northland was sold off, but the Crown agency remained intact with an emphasis placed on providing better regional bus service.
In restoring passenger rail, Fedeli said scheduling will be improved to encourage use of the train. The coaches are modern with better amenities, including accessible seats and washrooms, wider aisles, Wi-Fi and charging ports. Fares will be affordable for postsecondary students and those Northerners travelling south for medical appointments.
“There was a lot of thought put into what they’ve (Ontario Northland) done,” said Fedeli.
Ontario Northland CEO Chad Evans added their strategy for fares will be released closer to the launch date.
Evans said when the initial business case began in 2020, their initial ridership projections ranged between 40,000 and 60,000 passengers based on surveys, consultations and other analysis.
Since then, populations have grown considerably in Northern and rural areas since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020. The 16 communities along the corridor that will get Northlander service have grown, Evans said.
Evans harbours no doubt that they will take to the service.
“We’ve heard from them. I’ve spoken to them in consultation. They’re interested to use this service and and we look forward to launching it.”