TEMISKAMING SHORES – It’s been over a decade since passenger rail service was available in the north. The people that were fortunate enough to see the blue and yellow Ontario Northlander passenger train travelling the rails last week in the Temiskaming region said it was quiet and sleek looking.
Comments on social media about the train’s test run were positive as people indicated it was exciting to know the train will be back on the tracks as early as this summer.
“It looks great, it was exciting to see it and it is very quiet,” said Cheri Spencer Knight, who spotted the Northlander going through Cobalt on April 8.
A test run travelled through the South Temiskaming region going northwards on April 7, then returned to North Bay on April 8.
The Northlander is expected to begin service as early as June or July after rigorous testing has been completed, said Ontario Premier Doug Ford in a telephone interview with The Speaker.
He travelled to North Bay to speak about the Northlander last week at the Ontario Northland Station in North Bay, currently being used for bus passenger service.
“That was quite the week we had. I am so excited,” said Ford.
“This is the people’s train. The Northlander train is going to change people’s lives. They can safely hop on the train and there will be food, beverages and free WiFi for people to enjoy. This is the people’s train. Everyone in the north can take ownership of it because it was specifically made for the people of the north.”
His train of thought moved to giving full credit for the return of the Northlander to Nipissing MPP and the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli.
“You know who gets all the credit for the return of the Northlander, Vic Fedeli. From the day he was elected and we formed government his number one priority was bringing back the Northlander. He gets one thousand per cent of the credit.”
TRAIN TRAVEL
Ford went on to say he was thrilled that the people of Northern Ontario can safely travel to Toronto on a brand new state of the art train.
“I am just so happy for the people of the north, this will change their lives. All the way back to the conception of a train a hundred years ago, this is a brand new train. I met with a conductor and he said he has never driven a nicer and more modern train. What this allows people to do is safely and conveniently be able to hop on the train and travel for medical appointments, bring their family to a Blue Jays game or go visit family, or kids can travel back from school with a quality transportation system. We wanted to make sure it is affordable and there are so many packages for everyone, students, seniors and even our military personnel. We put the price at just ten per cent more than the bus.”
The Northlander will operate on a corridor of 740 kilometres between Timmins and Toronto (Union Station), with a rail connection to Cochrane, for a total of 16 stops. Local stops include Temagami, Temiskaming Shores and Englehart. The train has an estimated travel time of just under 11 hours with ticket pricing for children, adults and seniors.
TESTING
The burn-in testing on the first train set has travelled 1,600 kilometres in conditions similar to what the train will experience once it is in full service mode.
The train set will consist of one locomotive and three passenger cars with fully trained staff on board. During the test runs staff will ensure all the safety and operating systems are working properly along the full Northlander route.
“Ontario Northland is making sure everything is safe and I am just so excited. I can’t wait to see people travelling on it,” said the Premier.
“I would love to see the train wrapped in scenes from the north, it would be so spectacular. I know Ontario Northland Railway has ordered a couple more trains. It is going to be so helpful for people. The difference between all the people that have talked about bringing the train back is when I say I am going to do something, I do it. Is it good for the people, is this going to help the majority of people, if the answer is yes, then we do it,” said Ford.
The premier said that about $100 million dollars has been spent so far on upgrading rail infrastructure which means new track improvements have been made, swing arms have been installed at rail crossings and modernization of train stations such as the ones in North Bay, Englehart and Cochrane have been completed.
By Sue Nielsen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Apr 15, 2026 at 08:13
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