Construction underway on Timmins – Porcupine Northlander train station

Ontario begins construction on Timmins' Northlander train station, with track upgrades for faster passenger service. Lydia Chubak reports.

Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, Prabmeet Sarkaria, confirmed that work on the new Northlander Passenger Rail service in Timmins is moving forward as planned, with construction now underway on the train station. Sarkaria visited Timmins on Monday to announce the latest developments.

“We already have early work construction underway, but once complete, this station will have accessible washrooms, motorcoach bays, seating, parking, and so much more,” Sarkaria said.

Track adjustments for improved safety and efficiency

In addition to the station construction, the project includes modifications to the rail corridor to accommodate passenger trains.

“So it’ll be a mixed corridor now,” said Chad Evans, CEO of Ontario Northland.

“Passenger trains are lighter and they travel faster, so we have to make adjustments to many of the curves along the corridor that allow us to operate both in a safe way, according to standards,” Evans explained.

Affordable service with no fare increases promised

While Sarkaria did not provide a specific start date for the service, he emphasized that it will remain affordable for passengers.

“I can assure everyone that we will work very, very closely with the communities and take into consideration the challenges,” Sarkaria said.

Highlighting the provincial government’s track record, he added, “Premier Ford has never raised a tax on this province. He’s never raised a fee on this province. We have not allowed any of our transit fares operated by Metrolinx to increase since we have been in government. In fact, we have brought in measures that reduce the cost of transit. So it will be no different for the North.”

Construction timeline and future updates

Evans told CTV News that construction will continue through this year and into 2026 until completion.

He encouraged the public to visit the Ontario Northland website to subscribe for updates on the Northlander project, noting that more announcements are expected throughout the year.