With the provincial election campaign going full steam ahead, a northern rail advocacy group is speaking up.

Officials with the Northeastern Ontario Rail Network were in Sudbury last night stressing the importance of bringing back passenger rail service in the north.

It was the first stop on the group's Rally for Rail tour, with a goal of informing voters before they go to the polls.

Lucille Frith is a spokesperson for Northeastern Ontario Rail Network.

“We would like people to understand what impact their vote could have. Just as you check off the boxes of the things that are important for a candidate, we want you to add passenger rail to that. Is that candidate wanting to get passenger rail back on the tracks? And are they interested in looking at an opportunity to use all of the existing track in Northern Ontario. And that’s what the NEORN link is.”

There are two stops on the tour Thursday, South River and Blind River.

Next week, the schedule is:

  • Monday, May 28           Englehart 
  • Tuesday, May 29           Timmins 
  • Wednesday, May 30      Wawa, Dubreuilville, Hearst, and Cochrane
  • Thursday, May 31          North Bay