New report suggests passenger rail service ‘doesn’t make sense’ for northern Ontario – Timmins Today

Advocacy group for passenger rail in northern Ontario says Northern Policy Institute report has ‘thrown a wrench’ into its efforts. But the think tank’s president and CEO is encouraging passenger rail proponents to take a closer look at its research

A report recently released by the Northern Policy Institute (NPI) suggests that passenger rail service in northern Ontario is not economically feasible.

The Thin Case for Passenger Rail in Ontario’s Northern Regions looks at a number of considerations and data, but concludes that while there is no definitive answer as to whether or not passenger rail service makes sense for the north, there could be some ways in which short-line, short-season rail that targets the tourism sector or disconnected First Nations could exist.

“I’m a supporter of passenger rail,” said the report’s lead author Al Phillips in a news release from NPI. “However, it is important to follow the data, especially when discussing the future of transportation in Northern Ontario. From an economic perspective, and in the context of allocation of resources, passenger rail does not appear to make sense for Northern Ontario.”

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