(Courtesy of Ontario Northland) Northlander service, which was discontinued in 2012 and replaced by buses, will span approximately 460 miles (740 kilometers) with 16 stops (see map below). The goal is to “enhance Ontario’s integrated transportation network and advance work on the province’s Draft Transportation Plan for the North,” according to the Ontario government. A map of the proposed route for Northlander passenger rail service showing stops at Union Station (Toronto), Langstaff, Gormley, Washago, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville, South River, North Bay, Temagami, Timiskaming Shores, Englehart, Kirkland Lake, Matheson, and Timmins (South Porcupine), with a rail connection to Cochrane. (Courtesy of the Ontario Government) The government in April 2022 reported that it would invest C$75 million to reinstate the service and released an Updated Initial Business Case. Later that year, it awarded a C$139.5 million contract to Siemens Mobility for three trainsets (each comprising one locomotive and three passenger cars) to support it. The first trainset is now undergoing testing and commissioning in Toronto before moving north, where Ontario Northland, the provincially owned operator, will begin testing along the Northlander corridor, according to the government’s Jan. 8 announcement. Testing will “ensure all systems function correctly and meet safety, performance, and operating requirements.” Our government is bringing back the Northlander! It’s a great day for communities across northeastern and central Ontario as we move one step closer to returning passenger rail to the North, with the arrival of the first of three new Northlander trainsets. pic.twitter.com/G0pE4hDtMa— Prabmeet Sarkaria (@PrabSarkaria) January 8, 2026 Each…
