Reviving Northern rail service.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: NEWS

A Sault Ste. Marie citizens coalition took to the rails in April to promote their cause of reviving passenger rail service in northeastern Ontario.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Coalition of Algoma Passenger Trains (CAPT) were preparing to ride the coaches of the Algoma Central Railway (ACR) and Ontario Northland railways (ONR) on a three-day excursion to Toronto's Union Station to meet with provincial decision makers and stress the need for greater public investment in passenger rail.

The CAPT group of lodge owners, outfitters and cottagers are lobbying for better service on the Canadian National Railway (CN), the owners of the former ACR line between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst.

The group is upset CN is reducing passenger trains this year from four runs-per week to three, calling it inconvenient for weekend cottagers, outfitters and resort owners along the 470-kilometre route. They say it's also restrictive in promoting potential eco-tourism opportunities.

Their trip was to include town hall stops in Hearst and Cochrane to meet with community stakeholders, tourism operators and other businesses that rely on train service.

CAPT wants to create a not-for-profit entity to take over the responsibility from the railway for bookings, scheduling, passenger service and the marketing of the popular Agawa Canyon Tour Train.

CN has said it is receptive to the idea if it keeps the train running and boosts tourism activity.

The CAPT group seeks to galvanize public and political support throughout northeastern Ontario, including communities along the ONR-Highway 11 corridor.

Organizer and resort owner Al Errington says combining service with the ONR's Polar Bear Express would be a "huge business builder" for the tourism sector.

"If businesses along the Algoma Central Railway could do (vacation) packages out of Toronto, it would be incredible."

Errington says talks are ongoing to broker a deal between CN and Queen's Park to replace antiquated passenger coaches with newer rolling stock. But he says there's been little federal response from Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon's office.

Last year, Transport Canada contributed $3.8 million to CN to subsidize passenger rail service between the Sault and Hearst. But there's been little public funding for the canyon tour train. The railway has said there's few resources available to replace aging passenger coaches.

Doug Reynolds, executive director of Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario, says the CAPT group's...