Delivery of first Northlander trainset only a matter of months away
The trainsets are being manufactured by Siemens Mobility Canada with delivery expected in a matter of months.
“We expect to receive the first trainset in early 2026, in the winter, with the other two to follow,” says Chad Evans, CEO of Ontario Northland. “Immediately upon receipt we’ll begin that testing and commissioning.”
He says the manufacturer, Transport Canada and the ONTC all have specific standards and regulations that need to be met during that process.
“It’s those three things that comprise that testing and commissioning schedule,” says Evans. “It’s many months long in order to complete it.”
Elsewhere along the 16-stop Northlander route, officials say construction continues, with contracts awarded this summer for the Timmins-Porcupine Station and various platform and shelter projects.
Another stretch of new track has been laid on the way to bringing back Northlander passenger train service.
MPP Vic Fedeli joined officials with Ontario Northland on Monday morning to officially open the 982-metre North Bay rail bypass.
“First of all, it’s going to cut 15 minutes off the trip from the Station here in North Bay to Toronto,” he says. “Number two, it doesn’t go through the [ONR] yard where it would have to go very slow and have a lot of interchanges just to get from point A to point B, to get started on the way down south.”
The province provided $5.7 million for the project.
Richard Coffin has been a reporter and news anchor on the radio in North Bay for over 25 years. From premiers to people in the neighbourhood, he enjoys connecting with newsmakers and writing stories that matter to area listeners on a variety of topics including healthcare, education, politics, sports and more.
