Northlander

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For the Vertigo comic book, see Northlanders.
Northlander
Northlander at Englehart 2008 12 21.jpg
The Northlander at Englehart station.
Overview
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleOntario, Canada
TerminiToronto Union Station
Cochrane
Stations14
Service
TypeInter-city rail
SystemOntario Northland Railway
Operator(s)Ontario Northland Railway
History
Opened1976
ClosedSeptember 28, 2012
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map
Legend
10:45 Cochrane
 9:50 Matheson
 9:05 Swastika
 8:25 Englehart
 7:55 New Liskeard
 7:40 Cobalt
 6:55 Temagami
 5:10 North Bay
 3:55 South River
 3:00 Huntsville
 2:25 Bracebridge
 2:10 Gravenhurst
 1:45 Washago VIA Rail Canada simplified.svg
 0:00 Toronto GO Transit logo.svg VIA Rail Canada simplified.svg Amtrak
This diagram:
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The Northlander was a passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Ontario, Canada.

The Northlander operated six days per week year-round in both directions and connected Cochrane with Toronto. The train typically consisted of one engine, an auxiliary power unit, two coaches and a cafeteria lounge car. It ran on ONR tracks from Cochrane to North Bay and on CN tracks south of North Bay to Toronto.

In March 2012, the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission announced plans to discontinue the Northlander and replace it with bus service (Routes 1 and 2).[1] The final train ran on September 28, 2012.[2] To push for the service's restoration, an advocacy group called All Aboard Northern Ontario was formed in October 2017.[3]

Plans to resume rail service[]

Prior to the 2018 Ontario general election, Doug Ford promised to restore the service.[4] Ontario Northland prepared a business plan and submitted it to the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario in late 2019, and the resumption of the service was mentioned in the province's Draft Transportation Plan for Northern Ontario published in December 2020,[5] although no timeline was provided.

In May 2021, the provincial government announced plans for Ontario Northland and Metrolinx to resume rail operations between Toronto and northeastern Ontario with a 13-stop route to begin service by the mid-2020s. The route would provide service from Toronto to Timmins or Cochrane and would be available between four and seven days a week, based on seasonal travel demands.[6] Two of the proposed stations, Gormley and Langstaff, are not ONR stations from the original Northlander route but they are serving GO Transit Richmond Hill line. Stations south of North Bay to Washago and south of Cochrane would need to be restored as they have either become inactive or adapted for other uses.

Stations[]

The Northlander made scheduled stops at the following stations:

↓↓↓↓ CITY / TOWN ↑↑↑↑ NOTES
08:40 DP Toronto (Union Station) AR 19:15 Connections to Via Rail, GO Transit & Amtrak
10:25 Washago 16:30 Connections to Via Rail's The Canadian
10:50 Gravenhurst 16:10
11:05 Bracebridge 15:55
11:40 Huntsville 15:30
12:35 South River 14:40
13:50 AR North Bay DP 13:35 Connections to Ontario Northland, Greyhound Canada and other intercity bus operators.
14:05 DP North Bay AR 13:25
15:35 Temagami 11:50
16:20 Cobalt 11:05
16:35 New Liskeard 10:50 Ontario Northland bus stop until 2016
17:05 Englehart 10:20 ONR storage facility and repair shops
17:45 Swastika 09:40 Ontario Northland bus stop
18:30 Matheson 08:55 Transfer point for bus service to Timmins and South Porcupine, Ontario
18:55 Porquis Junction 08:20
19:25 AR Cochrane DP 08:00 Connections to Polar Bear Express to Moosonee, Ontario (as southern terminus)
Temagami railway station
Cochrane railway station

Former stations[]

Service to Barrie and Orillia ended in 1992 when the Northlander was rerouted to the Bala subdivision. That corresponding section of the Newmarket subdivision was abandoned, then tracks removed by the Canadian National Railway in 1996. The old line is now Oro-Medonte Rail Trail, Barrie North Shore Trail and Barrie Waterfront Heritage Trail.

Station Location Notes
old Barrie Station Located just north of Allandale Waterfront GO Station Station has been restored for non transportation reuse
Orillia station 150 Front Street South Re-purposed for commercial space.[7]

Dream Catcher Express[]

The Dream Catcher Express was a seasonal passenger rail service that ran annually over a period of six days from the end of September to the beginning of October. It operated between North Bay and Temagami along the same route as the Northlander.

Train sets consisted of several single deck cars, a dining car, and a dome car.

The service was by reservation only and provided one run per day. Trains departed in the morning and returned in the early evening. The Dream Catcher Express allowed passengers to view the fall colours in Northern Ontario.

This service, along with the Northlander, ended in 2012.

References[]

  1. ^ Message from ONTC Chair Ted Hargreaves, March 23, 2012[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Notice posted on Ontario Northland Railway website on September 25 2012[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Passenger Rail Advocates Urging Northlander Restoration". Northern Ontario Business. October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  4. ^ "Ford promises new Northlander to Nipissing voters". Metroland Media. May 4, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  5. ^ "Draft Transportation Plan for Northern Ontario" (PDF). Ministry of Transportation. December 10, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  6. ^ "Passenger rail service in northeastern Ontario to return by mid-2020s". CBC News. May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  7. ^ https://www.orilliamatters.com/local-news/former-orillia-train-station-will-become-venue-to-showcase-locomotive-history-3553481

External links[]

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