A return to the abandoned Orangeville-Brampton Railway, 18 months after the last train left Orangeville
Category: Intercity Rail
Northeastern Ontario got an early Christmas gift from the provincial government on December 15, 2022. On that day, the province announced the purchase of three new trainsets for the restoration of passenger rail service to North Bay, Timmins, and points in between. Prior to 1990, there were two daily trains between Toronto and Northeastern Ontario: […]
On December 7, I took a trip out to Kingston to ride the newest coach operator to arrive in Ontario: Red Arrow. A division of Pacific Western, Red Arrow is the latest carrier to stake a claim to the busy Toronto-Kingston-Ottawa route, which is now served by five private companies. Between Toronto and Ottawa, five […]
On Tuesday, October 4, Metrolinx announced a new name for Oshawa GO Station, the eastern terminus of its busy Lakeshore Corridor. In a ten-year agreement with Durham College, a publicly funded post-secondary institution, the station will now be known as “Durham College Oshawa GO.” This was announced on Metrolinx’s Twitter account, Durham College’s social media, […]
The hidden stairways to Toronto’s railway heritage.
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The long way to London
New transit options make it easier to get around Southwestern Ontario. But as new carriers enter the market, it is wise to expect the unexpected.
With university and college campuses reopening for in-class instruction, white-collar workers slowly returning to the office, and pandemic restrictions receding, there are more intercity transport options in Ontario than at any time prior to March 2020.
However, the same old gaps continue to linger.
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Off the rails
Despite calls for the preservation of the Orangeville-Brampton Railway since its discontinuation in December 2021, the removal of rails on the 150-year old line that once connected Toronto with Owen Sound, Teeswater, and points between began this week. The Town of Orangeville aims to replace the tracks with a multi-use path through the municipality. The […]
On Townline Road on the south end of Orangeville, across the street from the old railway yard and station grounds, two plaques stand, telling the history of the doomed railway next to them. The first plaque, a faded provincial marker, commemorates the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway, which arrived in Orangeville in 1871 and completed […]
A round trip from Toronto via Guelph, Owen Sound, and Barrie is the longest trip one can take using only local and regional transit services. Despite these new links, there is room for improvement.
Sean Marshall 