Rail safety information created amid concerns around ‘extremely quiet’ train

The impending return of the Northlander passenger train has the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) focused on rail safety.
Craig Myles, Director of Education, provided the board with an update recently, saying the Safe Schools Team is partnering with the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) to bring rail safety education to all students across the district.
The Toronto to Timmins train will travel through many NNDSB communities.
“There are some concerns given that this is a new, state of the art train which makes it extremely quiet,” states Myles’ report. “The team has created materials with support from ONTC and Operation Lifesaver.”
Educators from kindergarten to grade 12 will have access to lesson plans, PowerPoints, activity books, videos and websites.
Delivery of the first new Northlander trainset to the ONTC is expected early in 2026 with months-long testing and commissioning to follow before passenger service begins.

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.