SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario — The Canadian government will invest up to C$10.5 million in infrastructure improvements on the Huron Central Railway, maintaining the railroad’s viability as a freight operator between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury, Ont., Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Tuesday.
The federal funds will be matched by equal figures from the government of Ontario and the Huron Central, a Genesee & Wyoming property, for a total investment of C$31.5 million in the 173-mile route. A prospective deal to save the railroad — which has previously faced multiple threats of closure in — was initially reported in 2021 [see “Digest: Deal will provide $33 million …,” Trains News Wire, May 28, 2021].
The federal funding will come from the National Trade Corridors Fund, which has seen a total allocation of C$4.7 billion between 2017 and 2028.
“Improvements to the Huron Central Railway infrastructure between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury is essential to Northern Ontario,” Alghabra said in a press release. He called the collaboration between the federal and provincial governments and the railway a positive example of how we can come together to build fluid and reliable internal trade corridors.”
Rick McLellan, president of Genesee & Wyoming Canada, said the government investments will ensure the Huron Central “can continue to serve our communities, securing our customers’ access to vital supply chains.”
