CAPT makes whistle stop in North Bay

Coalition for Algoma Passenger Trains
News Release

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NORTH BAY – GCA Representative Shawn O’Donnell was on hand today to welcome Al Errington, Co-Chair of the Algoma Coalition for Passenger trains to North Bay as he made a brief stopover. Mr. Errington is touring Northern Ontario as part of their All-Aboard Event, which is designed to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining Rail Passenger Infrastructure in Northern Ontario.

The Algoma Coalition has been gathering support for more federal investment in Rail Passenger Service, which has been neglected on the Algoma line where the service is starting to suffer. Ontario Northland, with the benefit of provincial government support, has been able to enhance the service on their remote access line from Cochrane to Moosonee, but federal support for the Northlander, which runs on CN tracks between North Bay and Toronto has been flat lined for the last decade, in operational funding, and the Federal Government does not make any capital investment in the Northlander, as they do in other passenger rail corridors.

The federal plan is to reduce their operational support in the coming years, which is contrary to conventional wisdom, regarding the role passenger rail can play in economic development with minimal environmental impact.
The GCA has met with area MP Anthony Rota, who is supportive of the plan to invest in passenger rail, but the Conservative government has yet to show any commitment to the project.

“Mr. Errington is carrying the message of the importance of passenger rail to our entire region to both levels of government, which we are in full agreement with and although we see the provincial government taking action, we believe the federal government has a much bigger role to play.” Said Ron Marleau, President of the General Chairperson’s Association.

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