The Ontario government has acquired more than 200 kilometres of railway between North Bay and Washago as part of its plan to bring back the Northlander passenger rail service.

The acquisition, which represents more than a quarter of the rail corridor along which the Northlander will operate, was completed in late February through a $138-million investment. It secures a dedicated rail corridor that will improve system performance and reliability and will support timely freight rail traffic, with freight revenues directed back to Ontario Northland.

“Today, we’re taking a pivotal step towards bringing back the Northlander and better connecting Northeastern Ontario families and workers to the opportunities and services they rely on,” said Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria. “This investment will prioritize passenger service by supporting fast, reliable service along the line.”

The acquisition of more track along the Northlander corridor will connect communities from north to south. The investment allows the province to maintain critical rail infrastructure that improves both passenger and freight service along the corridor. In addition, it will streamline freight operations in North Bay, where freight trains were previously disassembled, transferred onto CN track and reassembled before continuing south.

Once complete, the Northlander will travel 740 kilometres between Timmins and Toronto, with a rail connection to Cochrane, for a total of 16 stops.

To date, province has invested more than $100 million in rail infrastructure north of North Bay to support the return of Northlander passenger rail service.