Northlander
The Northlander was a passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Ontario, Canada.
The Northlander operated six days per week year-round in both directions and connected Cochrane with Toronto. The train typically consisted of one engine, an auxiliary power unit, two coaches and a cafeteria lounge car. It ran on ONR tracks from Cochrane to North Bay and on CN tracks south of North Bay to Toronto.
In March 2012, the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission announced plans to discontinue the Northlander and replace it with bus service. The final train ran on September 28, 2012. To push for the service's restoration, an advocacy group called All Aboard Northern Ontario was formed in October 2017.
Stations
The Northlander made scheduled stops at the following stations:↓↓↓↓ | CITY / TOWN | ↑↑↑↑ | NOTES | ||
08:40 | DP | Toronto | AR | 19:15 | Connections to Via Rail, GO Transit & Amtrak |
10:25 | Washago | 16:30 | Connections to Via Rail's The Canadian | ||
10:50 | Gravenhurst | 16:10 | |||
11:05 | Bracebridge | 15:55 | |||
11:40 | Huntsville | 15:30 | |||
12:35 | South River | 14:40 | Connections to Via Rail's The Canadian | ||
13:50 | AR | North Bay | DP | 13:35 | Connections to Greyhound Canada and other intercity bus operators. Currently northern terminus of Dream Catcher Express |
14:05 | DP | North Bay | AR | 13:25 | |
15:35 | Temagami | 11:50 | Currently southern terminus of Dream Catcher Express | ||
16:20 | Cobalt | 11:05 | |||
16:35 | New Liskeard | 10:50 | Ontario Northland bus stop until 2016 | ||
17:05 | Englehart | 10:20 | ONR storage facility and repair shops | ||
17:45 | Swastika | 09:40 | Ontario Northland bus stop | ||
18:30 | Matheson | 08:55 | Transfer point for bus service to Timmins and South Porcupine, Ontario | ||
18:55 | Porquis Junction | 08:20 | |||
19:25 | AR | Cochrane | DP | 08:00 | Connections to Polar Bear Express to Moosonee, Ontario |
Former stations
- Service to Barrie and Orillia Ontario ended in 1996 when the Northlander was rerouted to the Bala subdivision after that section of the Newmarket subdivision was abandoned and removed by the Canadian National Railway.