BRACEBRIDGE, Ontario — The Ontario government has awarded three contracts for projects related to its plan to restore passenger service between Toronto and Timmons, Ont., according to a recent announcement.
The contracts are for design and construction of nine new station shelters; track upgrades; and improved warning systems. Enseicom Inc. received the ctonract for the station shelters, to be constructed over the next two years at Mathewson, Kirkland Lake, Temiskaming Shores, Temagami, South River, Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, and Washago. Construction of station platforms, parking areas, and pathways will begin this summer.
“This investment marks further progress on the reinstatement of the Northlander train service,” Chad Evans, Ontario Northland CEO, said in a May 31 press release. “The shelters will be safe, comfortable and accessible, providing a consistent, modern passenger experience for customers boarding and exiting the train all along the route. We are excited to see this work progress during this construction season and next.”
Remcan Ltd. received the contract for track work, while X-Rail received the contract for warning system upgrades north of North Bay.
The work is part of the process to restore the Northlander service discontinued in 2012. The government had previously announced an order for three Siemens trainsets for the service [see “Ontario government orders equipment …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 15, 2022].
What had become of the pre-existing passenger train stations for new station shelters to be proposed at every stop?
It is great that Huntsville, Ontario will soon get passenger train service again. Meanwhile, Huntsville, Alabama (2023 pop: 235,000; metro: 514,465) has not had passenger train service since February 1968 (that is 56 years ago as of 2024). Amtrak’s map of proposed intercity rail service expansion fails to include Huntsville, Alabama.
A proposed route between Houston and New York meanders through New Orleans, Birmingham and Atlanta [These three cities are already served by the ‘Sunset Limited’ and the ‘Crescent’ over this segment.] to go northwest to Chattanooga before continuing east.
The most direct route between Houston and New York is via Longview, Little Rock, Memphis, Huntsville (aforementioned), Chattanooga, Knoxville, Roanoke, and Washington. This is better than meandering over existing Amtrak routes which amounts to “double dipping” [Does anyone resent cities with more than one sports team of the same league?] accruing a longer route in the process.
I rode the old Northlander in 1976 from Toronto to Moosenee with transfer in Cochrane. Had sleeping cars, diner and club car. I loved waking over the Canadian Shield… This is great news…
If it had sleepers, it was the Northland, the overnight train between Toronto and Kapuskasing, via CNR-North Bay-ONT-Cochrane-CNR using conventional equipment. You would change at Cochrane for ONR’s mixed train to Moosonee.
The Northlaners were all-First Class TEE day trains ONR had imported from Europe. They were double-ended 4-car trains with power car, compartment car, diner with also18 2×1 1 st class seats and a cab car with 42 1st class seats. The cab car normally did not lead in Ontario. They only needed two of the four trainsets to protect a daytime schedule,
ONR replaced the Dutch diesels with FP7’s with HEP, then the whole trains were replaced by remodelled original GO Transit commuter cars. The service was withdrawn in 2012 by a new Provincial Government.
In 1982 the what’s now the Montreal – Senneterre train still ran across the border to Cochrane, Ontario, to connect with Ontario Northland for Toronto. So I rode Montreal to Toronto the long way around. How to find a meal in tiny, isolated Cochrane? It’s Canada so there were two Chinese restaurants, both a short walk from the depot.
VIA’s outback train Montreal to Cochrane was basic, but Ontario Northland was well equipped with nice coaches. After 42 years, I can’t recall cafe offerings on either train. The VIA train out of Montreal was the sort that would load canoes and fishing gear for the outback, but the ONR train was a train as we would know it.
Leaving Montreal, I headed for the no-smoking car. I was immediately surrounded by five or six locals chain-smoking and talking into the night in what Canada considers “French”. I literally didn’t pick up a single word. Might as well have been Chinese or Persian. I fell asleep after they got off not far into route, waking up the next morning in the thinly populated outback.
Interesting question, Mr. Landey. Yes, I was likewise unaware that the Northland trains weren’t running anymore. When did they stop operating? And why?
Well, it’s an improvement, out of the weather and presumably heated. All sorts of trains in northern USA and Canada had rural stops with only an open canopy, or maybe not even that.
I was unaware that the Northland trains were discontinued. Does anyone remember why?