EllisDon has been awarded the contract to install new platforms for Northlander passenger rail service in Northern Ontario.
The Mississauga-headquartered contractor will install platforms at stops in North Bay, Temagami, Temiskaming Shores, Englehart, Kirkland Lake, Matheson and Cochrane, in addition to pre-manufactured shelters at stops in Matheson, Kirkland Lake, Temiskaming Shores and Temagami. The government said it would award a separate contract for the construction of the Timmins-Porcupine station.
The province did not reveal the value of the contract.
“The Northlander will not only bring safe and reliable transportation back to communities ranging from Muskoka to North Bay to Timmins, it will also help unlock the province’s full economic potential by supporting northern industries and resource sectors and improving access to good-paying jobs and essential services like health care and education,” Transport Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said in a Dec. 6 news release.
Northlander passenger rail service, which ran between northeastern Ontario and Toronto, ceased in 2012, with the province citing “stagnant ridership” and Ontario Northland's “unsustainable financial path” as factors in the decision.
In a 2018 campaign promise, Premier Doug Ford vowed to restore the service.
Four years later, the government announced $75 million as part of that plan, and later pledged $139.5 million for the purchase three trainsets for the service.
On Friday, the province also revealed the exterior look of the new trains, which will be fully accessible, featuring built-in wheelchair lifts, mobility aid storage spaces, galley-style food services, Wi-Fi and fully accessible washrooms.
Earlier this year, the province announced three initial contracts related to the project.
Enseicom Inc. got the contract to design and manufacture nine new station shelters; Remcan Ltd., will make track improvements to enhance rail safety, decrease maintenance and reduce derailment risks; and X-Rail, will complete warning system upgrades along the Northlander corridor north of North Bay.
The new Northlander service, which will run between Timmins and Toronto, with a rail connection to Cochrane, is set to return in 2026.
