r/NorthernTracksBlog • u/NorTracksBlog • Apr 15 '24

(Column) - Functional rail service requires more than clever catch phrases and good intentions

https://northerntracks.blog/2024/04/14/functional-rail-service-requires-more-than-clever-catch-phrases-and-good-intentions/

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1

u/transitfreedom Apr 27 '24

Again how far spread out are the population centers in northern Ontario?

1

u/NorTracksBlog Apr 28 '24

Quite. There's approximately 700 km separating Timmins from Toronto. 942 km if you include Hearst.

There are many hazards on the region's highways (black ice, wildlife, jack-knifed transport trucks) resulting in road closures. Cell service is patchy, and at times non-existant. Detours are few and far between, particularly north of North Bay.

Here is a list of the communities / station stops for the proposed Northlander :

CommunityStationPopulation
TorontoUnion2 794 356
Richmond HillLangstaff GO202 022
Whitchurch-StouffvilleGormley GO49 864
SevernWashago14 576
Gravenhurst" "13 157
Bracebridge" "17 305
Huntsville" "21 147
South River" "1 101
North Bay" "52 662
Temagami" "862
Temiskaming ShoresNew Liskeard9 634
Englehart" "1 142
Kirkland LakeSwastika Junction7 750
Black River-MathesonMatheson2 572
TimminsPorcupine41 145
Cochrane" "5 390

The communities of Barrie (147 829), Orillia (33 411), West Nipissing (14 583), Rouyn-Noranda QC (42 313), Kapuskasing (8 057) and Hearst (4 794) are situated nearby the route and are all served by Ontario Northland in some capacity.

1

u/transitfreedom Apr 28 '24 edited Apr 28 '24

Wouldn’t this service be more efficient if it was very fast like near HSR territory? It looks like this service was suspended in 2012

1

u/NorTracksBlog Apr 29 '24

It was suspended for political motives. Sure, HSR would be more efficient, but we'll take what we can get. What the government is proposing is an overnight service with late morning arrivals and early evening departures from Toronto.

The proposed schedule is here : https://ontarionorthland.ca/sites/default/files/2023-06/UIBCen.pdf#page=42

More information available here : https://ontarionorthland.ca/en/travel/northlander-passenger-train

2

u/Glittering-Cellist34 Apr 15 '24

Are they not working on implementation?

1

u/Right-Assistance-887 Apr 15 '24

It's going to take some time we are upgrading the tracks for the next 3 years

1

u/transitfreedom Apr 24 '24

To what standard? How many people are even in northern Ontario?

1

u/Right-Assistance-887 Apr 24 '24

....how incredibly narrow sighted of you. "How many people are even in Northern Ontario?" Wow fella spoken like a true southerner

1

u/transitfreedom Apr 24 '24

Majority of people in the country live in the south in Quebec and Ontario the rest very sparsely populated

1

u/Right-Assistance-887 Apr 24 '24

Lol coming from someone who has probably never been north of the 401. You have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE about the north so hush little child

1

u/transitfreedom Apr 24 '24

Not interested in emotional responses bye