Prime Minister Doug Ford made the announcement to the Timmins after traveling from Toronto on an Ontario Northland train.
The government released an up-to-date initial operational case for the passenger rail service between Timmins and Toronto on Sunday, and future work on a preferred 16-stop route will include a Cochrane rail link and then a Polar Bear Express connection to Moosonee. .
The year-round route, which the province says could start in the mid-2020s, will allow tourists to visit the north and allow northerners to travel to the provincial capital for sporting events and access the medical care.
The service, which was canceled in 2012, will range from four to seven days a week based on seasonal travel requirements.
Ontario Northland currently operates four buses daily between Toronto and North Bay and one to two buses daily from North Bay to Timmins and Cochrane.
“Restoring this rail service will be a huge boost not only for the families up here, but also for the local tour operators who will once again be able to show the world the kind of beauty we only find in northern Ontario.” said Ford.
The government estimates that annual riders will be between 40,000 and 60,000 by 2041, while the connection to Cochrane will allow the rail service to reach 176,000 inhabitants.
This Canadian Press report was first published on April 10, 2022.
