Northlander train revival progressing on schedule, officials say

Provincial politicians said that work to bring northeastern Ontario’s long-missed Northlander passenger rail service is happening on schedule as they unveil signs highlighting the sites of its future train stations.

At an unveiling of the future Timmins-Porcupine station Monday morning, Ontario’s associate transportation minister, Stan Cho and Timmins MPP George Pirie said work is underway to prepare for the arrival of three train sets in the mid-2020s.

“The train purchases are on-schedule and the (engineering) work that has to go into having that train operational, shortly after the trains arrive, it’s already begun,” said Cho.

“We’ve got to look at the renderings for stations like (the) Porcupine train station and all the way up and down the line.”

Pirie told local stakeholders that the province wants to assure people in the communities that the revived service will transport between Toronto and Cochrane and that the Northlander will return.

Where the previous Liberal government decommissioned the train line, he said the Ford government intends to bring it back permanently.

“Over $100 million (in funding) to make this happen and the fact that it’s going to have a ridership of 60,000 people, will ensure that it will be here for a long time,” said Pirie.

Though he said it is difficult to comment on whether a future government would reverse course.

Meantime, Ontario Northland’s CEO, Chad Evans, said the goal is to design the train stations on a timeline that would have the Northlander operational soon after receiving the train sets from Siemens Mobility Limited.

“This year, we’re going to do the conceptual work and then we’ll get on with some drawings and we’ll move into procurement next year,” said Evans.

“We expect shovels in the ground by 2025.”