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Ontario Northland/Northern Ontario Transportation

New liveries being voted on, I really like both of them so I don’t mind whichever one wins:
image0.jpeg
 
lenaitch said:
Extended to where? You mean off their trackage? More trainsets, more staff, more operating costs, more track usage rental, all that stuff.

ONR's answer to all such things, as would be VIA's, will be they will do what the government directs and funds them to do. I don't image there is anyone on the Board or in ONR's leadership that would be arguing against any expansion; just tell us what you want and give us the dough.
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I fully understand the ONR response to any services, even those envisioned in Ontario's Draft Plan from 2020 "Connecting the North"

But, and a big but for so many reasons currently, I have always felt that running the Canadian from Sudbury through the Sault, then up to Franz (the Agawa Canyon route), and then westbound through White River (connecting with 185/186) taking the scenic route around Lake Superior to Thunder Bay and then west, would be a tremendous advantage to a route long considered a tourist railway. Obviously station improvements, track and speed improvements and capacity improvements would need to be factored in, but hey, money is no object here, right. Ring of Fire etc etc.

And as the Canadian does not run in each direction each day then a Canadian Lite running from North Bay (and the Northlander) to Thunder Bay on those other days.

Perhaps then you also run the Northlander to Hearst to allow for better bus connections to other communities.

And I am sure, as you have correctly pointed out, that if the government is willing to fund, then the railways and ONR (as a more integrated transit network) will be willing to run the rail and bus networks.
 
just east of the creek said:
But, and a big but for so many reasons currently, I have always felt that running the Canadian from Sudbury through the Sault, then up to Franz (the Agawa Canyon route), and then westbound through White River (connecting with 185/186) taking the scenic route around Lake Superior to Thunder Bay and then west, would be a tremendous advantage to a route long considered a tourist railway. Obviously station improvements, track and speed improvements and capacity improvements would need to be factored in, but hey, money is no object here, right. Ring of Fire etc etc.
Click to expand...

Money does not grow on trees, and the money that comes out of chromite mines has other uses.

I agree that this routing would be the perfect "tourism" ride, but it would require much of the cost of maintaining the Sudbury-Soo and Soo-Franz lines to passenger quality to be charged against the cost of operating the Canadian. That would put a dent in the train's economics, and since the train is already pretty well patronised on its existing route, there really isn't room for any upside in the revenue equation.

So, it comes back to the same question .... put the money available into this project, or into some other?

Again, I would say restoring bus service would be a better use of the money than making this change...as much as I would dearly love to ride this route, it's not a proposition that will get much support.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
Money does not grow on trees, and the money that comes out of chromite mines has other uses.

I agree that this routing would be the perfect "tourism" ride, but it would require much of the cost of maintaining the Sudbury-Soo and Soo-Franz lines to passenger quality to be charged against the cost of operating the Canadian. That would put a dent in the train's economics, and since the train is already pretty well patronised on its existing route, there really isn't room for any upside in the revenue equation.

So, it comes back to the same question .... put the money available into this project, or into some other?

Again, I would say restoring bus service would be a better use of the money than making this change...as much as I would dearly love to ride this route, it's not a proposition that will get much support.

- Paul
Click to expand...
As a passenger, absolutely that would be a dynamite routing, although a tad circuitous. As an operator/funder, an absolute money pit, not to mention the added complexity of sharing Canadian between different railways.

It might be more accurate to say that the money that may eventually comes out of the chromite mines. Even if they come to pass it will be years down the road. The developers have always intended to mine other metals from the RoF camp first in order to develop a cash flow. Having worked up there, I'm still not convinced they can operate a year-round long-route road at a capacity that will be needed to keep a refinery operating, but way off topic.

micheal_can said:
Overall, it makes me think of Via. The original rendering looked more different.
View attachment 510610
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I imagine that the folks who are awaiting its return won't care if they come in red oxide primer.

I haven't bothered to view the liveries on offer, but the one you posted strikes me as closely paralleling the new livery being used on the PBX.
 
just east of the creek said:
I fully understand the ONR response to any services, even those envisioned in Ontario's Draft Plan from 2020 "Connecting the North"

But, and a big but for so many reasons currently, I have always felt that running the Canadian from Sudbury through the Sault, then up to Franz (the Agawa Canyon route), and then westbound through White River (connecting with 185/186) taking the scenic route around Lake Superior to Thunder Bay and then west, would be a tremendous advantage to a route long considered a tourist railway. Obviously station improvements, track and speed improvements and capacity improvements would need to be factored in, but hey, money is no object here, right. Ring of Fire etc etc.

And as the Canadian does not run in each direction each day then a Canadian Lite running from North Bay (and the Northlander) to Thunder Bay on those other days.

Perhaps then you also run the Northlander to Hearst to allow for better bus connections to other communities.

And I am sure, as you have correctly pointed out, that if the government is willing to fund, then the railways and ONR (as a more integrated transit network) will be willing to run the rail and bus networks.
Click to expand...
Have they negotiated running rights with CN? Who owns the station property along the line?
 
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