Ontario Northland is moving ahead with plans to restore passenger rail service between Toronto and northeastern Ontario, with the Northlander train expected to return sometime in 2026.
Ontario Northland has released a tentative service schedule for passenger service between Toronto and Timmins.
The proposed service would operate along a 740-kilometre corridor between Toronto’s Union Station and Timmins, with 16 planned stops along the route. Communities identified in the tentative schedule include Langstaff, Gormley, Washago, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville, South River, North Bay, Temagami, Temiskaming Shores, Englehart, Kirkland Lake (Swastika), Matheson, Timmins and Cochrane.
The service will also offer rail connections to Cochrane, where passengers can transfer to the Polar Bear Express for travel to Moosonee on the James Bay coast.
Ontario Northland has not yet released ticket prices, noting fares will be determined closer to the official launch. While no exact start date has been confirmed, the agency says passenger operations are expected to resume in 2026 following the completion of infrastructure upgrades and successful train testing.
Ontario Northland Chief Executive Officer Chad Evans said the return of the Northlander will improve transportation access across the province and strengthen connections between northern and southern Ontario.
“The Northlander will fundamentally shift how people move across the province, creating more connections to the province’s integrated transportation network,” Evans said in a statement released July 14. “The Northlander will provide improved access to essential services, such as health care and education, while supporting economic prosperity and tourism in the region.”
Passenger service on the Northlander was discontinued in 2012, a decision that left many northern communities without rail access.
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