NORTHLANDER TRAIN TICKET ONE-WAY TO TORONTO FROM GRAVENHURST $67 ADULT, $57 SENIOR/STUDENT, $33.50 KIDS; AS IT BEGINS LOCAL TRACK TESTING
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
NORTH BAY — Riding the Northlander one-way from Gravenhurst to Toronto will cost adults $67, seniors/students $57 and kids $33.50.
Return costs are double that for the train the still has not start date for service.
That’s the word today as fares were finally announced at Ontario Northland’s headquarters in North Bay.
And soon you can actually catch sight of the Northlander’s return as it whizzes up and down through Muskoka on track it recently purchased from CN.
Track testing this winter included runs around Toronto.
This morning Ontario Northland released the anticipated fares at the start of track testing.
Tickets will be about 10 per cent above the cost of its bus service, which they said are “designed to be competitive and accessible, while reflecting the cost of operating a more reliable and consistent passenger rail service.”
A ticketing platform will be available closer to launch so passengers can book travel in advance and access the lowest fares.
The Northlander’s fare structure is available on Ontario Northland.
The anticipated launch fares for the Northlander passenger rail service are listed below. These are standard one-way fares, with discounted rates available for: seniors, students, military personnel and passengers travelling for medical purposes, as well as their attendant:
“When I saw the fares, I thought, ‘Boy, this is economic,’” said Premier Doug Ford said.
The cost of travelling from Toronto to Timmins, for example, will be $181.67 for an adult; $154.42 for students and seniors; and $90.84 for children between the ages of two and 12.
The province has projected an annual ridership of between 40,000 and 60,000 passengers by 2041.
Ford said it will be “up to the customer to show the province and Ontario Northland that they want this train.”
According to a 2022 business case, annual operating costs for the restored service are estimated at about $283 million with annual revenues of up to $93 million if ridership reaches roughly 58,000 passengers by 2041.
The Northlander will travel 740 kilometres between Timmins and Toronto, with a rail connection to Cochrane, for a total of 16 stops.
See their bus travel schedule website here.
Testing phase
The province says it is nearing completion of “burn-in” testing on the first trainset, which has travelled more than 1,600 kilometres in conditions that simulate regular service. The train will soon enter the next phase of testing and commissioning, known as Revenue Service Demonstration (RSD). During this phase of testing, Ontario Northland will train staff on the equipment, run emergency exercises, test schedules and make sure all safety and operating systems are working properly along the full Northlander route. This phase will simulate normal operations, including station stops and announcements, before the line opens to the public.
The second trainset has arrived in Ontario and will soon begin its own testing and commissioning along the Northlander corridor.
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