We are weeks away from a progress report on the move back to passenger rail service for our region.
Provincial cabinet minister George Pirie says he’s expecting associate transportation minister Stan Cho to announce – among other things – a start date for construction of a new station in Porcupine.
“It will be within the month,” he reports. “I believe it’s scheduled for the March Break.”
From Porcupine, the new Northlander will continue on to Cochrane.
That all has Pirie excited, as does the earlier announcement of three new train sets to carry passengers between Toronto, Timmins and Cochrane.
“As you know, in the past, Ontario is kind of used to getting – and Northern Ontario and Ontario Northland – secondhand equipment,” he says. “Three brand new train sets. I mean, that speaks to the longterm commitment to passenger rail in Northern Ontario and specifically the Timmins area.”
Pirie says the plan is still on track to have those trains serving the route in 2026.
