Northlander passenger train linking Ontario's north and south on track to launch in 2026

If all goes according to plan, Ontario Northland says passengers should be able to board the Northlander train service connecting Toronto to Timmins, with an extension to Cochrane, in 2026. 

The company delivered an update on the project during the annual Northern Ontario Tourism Summit held in North Bay. 

Senior communications manager Kate Bondett said the train cars are still being manufactured, with a delivery expected in 2026. 

Until then, Ontario Northland continues to prepare for the return of the service by looking at ticketing models, building the Timmins terminus, and removing joints on the tracks to make for quieter travel.

Bondett says the information gathered during consultations in 13 communities along the corridor over the past year is being used to make decisions about design and customer experience.

"We've heard a lot of wonderful stories about grandparents looking to connect with their grandchildren, accessing medical services, attending post secondary [schools] or government institutions," she said. 

Asked whether this new version of the Northlander would suffer from delays caused by shared tracks with cargo trains, as its predecessor did, the company's chief marketing officer Rebecca McGlynn said initiatives were underway to better co-ordinate schedules with freight companies. 

She also said Ontario Northland is looking at twinning tracks in certain areas. 

The previous iteration of the Northlander was discontinued in 2012 by the Liberal Wynne government. On the campaign trail in 2018, Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives promised to revive the service, while Wynne maintained there was no business case for it.

When asked if a change in government before 2026 would threaten the project, Bondett said "I feel very confident the service will continue on its path. We are on schedule." 

Too early to explore expansions to northwestern Ontario

Albert Errington was among the tourist operators taking a keen interest in the return of passenger trail service to northern Ontario. 

He has owned and operated Errington's Wilderness Island resort in northern Algoma for 50 years. 

"We used to have train and float plane access only, but we lost the Algoma passenger train almost 10 years ago now," he said. 

"We really miss the passenger train access. It was just an extremely accessible way to travel." 

The Northlander's route currently does not include Algoma or regions in the province's northwest. 

"I'm really hoping it will expand," he said. "Mostly because it needs to. The foundation of any economy is transportation." 

Bondett says it's too early to talk about expanding to areas beyond the Toronto – Timmins – Cochrane corridor. 

"These discussions really are for after the launch of the service."