micheal_can
Senior Member
Lets have a serious discussion about the Northlander returning and how we can learn from that to expand passenger rail across the country.
It started in 1979 with the TEE trains. At the time, those trains were almost 20 years old. They were retired in 1992.
In 1992, they used refurbished GO single level coaches that were built in1967. They were 25 years old. The service ended in 2012. Those cars would have been 45 years old.
Within the next few years, around 10-15 years later, the service will return, but with new equipment.
Via Rail/CN did run the Northland, but I am having trouble finding the history of it.
The line, north of Washago has about 100,000 people living in the cities and towns along it's route. The route is about 800km long and will take about 8-12hours each way. It used to run 6days a week, but this return is planned to see 5-7 days a week.
So, why is it coming back?
With about 100,000 people living along the route,and it being about 8-12hour trip, that does not sound like it should come back.
It is politics.
Vic Fedeli is the current PC MPP for the riding North Bay is in. He was the mayor during 2003-2010.
When the Northlander was cancelled, Monique Smith, a Liberal MPP was elected in the riding. This riding bonces back and forth between Liberals and PCs over the decades. Before her, it was Mike Harris, the Premier of Ontario's riding.
Back when Vic was mayor he did all he could to try to stop the divestment of the ONTC, the operator of the Northlander. The ONTC was under the Ministry of Northern Development, even though it is and was primarily a transportation company. It used to own the telecommunications company Ontera. It also used to own the NorOntair airline. Since it's inception in 1902, the ONTC, then the T%NO has been one of the biggest employers in the city. (My family has worked there likely since it opened, but at least since the 1940s)
Vic has run on restoring the Northlander. The population along the route is aging. Many people need to go to Toronto or the GTA for specialist appointments. Yes, there is a bus route along the highway. Winter though makes the bus useless. Regularly, many winter storms close the highway. Not because of the snow, but because of the accidents it causes. Peruse through The Nugget. the local paper of North Bay and you will find the closure of highway 11is a fairly regular occurrence. There has been one storm that closed 11, 17 and 144; effectively cutting off people in the north from Toronto.
Yes, winter can cause problems with rail. A friend of mine who worked for CN told me winter sneaks up on them every year. The challenge is building air in the trains. Snow, however, is not a problem.A blizzard can happen and so long as they can see the lights, they can travel track speed.
So, the only real reason that rail is returning to the highway 11 corridor is because of politics. No one can make any other case for it. It is too long for city pairs. The population is too low. So, the only real reason is politics.
So, I feel what we need to improve Via outside of the Corridor is politics.
It started in 1979 with the TEE trains. At the time, those trains were almost 20 years old. They were retired in 1992.
In 1992, they used refurbished GO single level coaches that were built in1967. They were 25 years old. The service ended in 2012. Those cars would have been 45 years old.
Within the next few years, around 10-15 years later, the service will return, but with new equipment.
Via Rail/CN did run the Northland, but I am having trouble finding the history of it.
The line, north of Washago has about 100,000 people living in the cities and towns along it's route. The route is about 800km long and will take about 8-12hours each way. It used to run 6days a week, but this return is planned to see 5-7 days a week.
So, why is it coming back?
With about 100,000 people living along the route,and it being about 8-12hour trip, that does not sound like it should come back.
It is politics.
Vic Fedeli is the current PC MPP for the riding North Bay is in. He was the mayor during 2003-2010.
When the Northlander was cancelled, Monique Smith, a Liberal MPP was elected in the riding. This riding bonces back and forth between Liberals and PCs over the decades. Before her, it was Mike Harris, the Premier of Ontario's riding.
Back when Vic was mayor he did all he could to try to stop the divestment of the ONTC, the operator of the Northlander. The ONTC was under the Ministry of Northern Development, even though it is and was primarily a transportation company. It used to own the telecommunications company Ontera. It also used to own the NorOntair airline. Since it's inception in 1902, the ONTC, then the T%NO has been one of the biggest employers in the city. (My family has worked there likely since it opened, but at least since the 1940s)
Vic has run on restoring the Northlander. The population along the route is aging. Many people need to go to Toronto or the GTA for specialist appointments. Yes, there is a bus route along the highway. Winter though makes the bus useless. Regularly, many winter storms close the highway. Not because of the snow, but because of the accidents it causes. Peruse through The Nugget. the local paper of North Bay and you will find the closure of highway 11is a fairly regular occurrence. There has been one storm that closed 11, 17 and 144; effectively cutting off people in the north from Toronto.
Yes, winter can cause problems with rail. A friend of mine who worked for CN told me winter sneaks up on them every year. The challenge is building air in the trains. Snow, however, is not a problem.A blizzard can happen and so long as they can see the lights, they can travel track speed.
So, the only real reason that rail is returning to the highway 11 corridor is because of politics. No one can make any other case for it. It is too long for city pairs. The population is too low. So, the only real reason is politics.
So, I feel what we need to improve Via outside of the Corridor is politics.
