Ontario Northland/Northern Ontario Transportation

[lenaitch]

But they don't own the line - CP does. CP could be convinced to sell it easier.

I suppose I'd have to be convinced of the merits of buying the ROW vs. leasing, particularly in view of the cost outlay. Last I looked, Ontario wasn't rolling in it.

 

[micheal_can]

I suppose I'd have to be convinced of the merits of buying the ROW vs. leasing, particularly in view of the cost outlay. Last I looked, Ontario wasn't rolling in it.

Except for anything south of North Bay, the ONR travels on rails it owns and maintains. I feel they should not change that.

 

[lenaitch]

Except for anything south of North Bay, the ONR travels on rails it owns and maintains. I feel they should not change that.

Well, since the end of the Northlander and until it's possible return, ONR doesn't move south of NB. As mentioned, I would need to be convinced of the merits of this 'unity' given the cost of acquisition. They would also have to re-establish as a federal railway or try to create a subsidiary to run into Quebec (like the sub into Rouyn-Noranda, the Nipissing Central Railway), which might not be successful.

 

[ShonTron]

Well, since the end of the Northlander and until it's possible return, ONR doesn't move south of NB. As mentioned, I would need to be convinced of the merits of this 'unity' given the cost of acquisition. They would also have to re-establish as a federal railway or try to create a subsidiary to run into Quebec (like the sub into Rouyn-Noranda, the Nipissing Central Railway), which might not be successful.

The Nipissing Central Railway has a fascinating history. It was an interurban railway between Cobalt and New Liskeard. Timiskaming & Northern Ontario purchased it partly to get that federal charter. (A bus route still follows the route today.)

 

[Allandale25]

 

[lenaitch]

The continuing evolution of the original HS GO single-level coaches.

 

[Allandale25]

No news here on passenger rail but it does mention improvements to their ticket system.

In the Driver’s Seat with Ontario Northland’s President & CEO, Corina Moore

Driving transformation within Northern Ontario’s rail and motor coach transportation network is Corina Moore. Since her appointment at Ontario Northland in 2005, Corina has been a champion of chang…

blog.betterez.com

 

[lenaitch]

Their bus ticketing system has been online for a couple of years now. Each driver has been issued a tablet. Tickets are primarily reservation-based but they usually hold a couple of seats for enroute flag customers (not ever part of every route has cel coverage and, of course, not everybody has mobile data).

 

[micheal_can]

In other news, CN is rerouting some of it's freight through the line to gain access to Montreal or other places cut off by the blockage in Belleville.

 

[Fritter]

In other news, CN is rerouting some of it's freight through the line to gain access to Montreal or other places cut off by the blockage in Belleville.

Do you know the route they are using to accomplish this? According to the Canadian rail atlas I can only see one possiblity and that is along the Nippissing Central rail line connecting to a CN line in Rouyn-Noranda.

 

[smallspy]

Do you know the route they are using to accomplish this? According to the Canadian rail atlas I can only see one possiblity and that is along the Nippissing Central rail line connecting to a CN line in Rouyn-Noranda.

That's exactly the route it will take. CN has set up a schedule in their system for it, calling it train 453.

Dan

 

[Fritter]

That's exactly the route it will take. CN has set up a schedule in their system for it, calling it train 453.

Dan

Quite the convoluted route! I bet CN is wishing they hadn't abandoned the Beachburg sub!

 

[lenaitch]

Quite the convoluted route! I bet CN is wishing they hadn't abandoned the Beachburg sub!

A circuitous route indeed but it does get customers' products to destination.

It would have been nice if CN and CP had been able to negotiate a shared use of one of the Ottawa valley routes (which was apparently attempted), but I imagine it is prohibitively expensive to maintain a ROW for 'just in case' situations.

 

[Allandale25]

That's exactly the route it will take. CN has set up a schedule in their system for it, calling it train 453.

Dan

Can the route handle all types of trains? Including intermodal? (Map of the route)

 

[micheal_can]

A circuitous route indeed but it does get customers' products to destination.

It would have been nice if CN and CP had been able to negotiate a shared use of one of the Ottawa valley routes (which was apparently attempted), but I imagine it is prohibitively expensive to maintain a ROW for 'just in case' situations.

There was concern that had they been able to, that OVR would have been making more money by hauling the cross Canada freight.