Railways in

Ontario

Ontario Northland train at North Bay, prior to withdrawal of through services to / from Toronto.

National Operators

• VIA Rail Canada passenger services:
  • The Montreal - Windsor corridor, including Toronto, Ottawa, Niagara Falls and Sarnia is well served by passenger trains
  • The Canadian Toronto to Vancouver
  • The Lake Superior Sudbury to White River
• Canadian Pacific Railway freight services
• CN freight services

International Services

• Amtrak passenger service: the Maple Leaf from New York crosses the border at Niagara Falls, using CN tracks to Toronto
• CN crosses the US border between Rainy River and Beaudette, Minnesota
• CN crosses the Canadian border near International Falls, Minnesota. Minnesota, Dakota & Western has its own border crossing nearby and interchanges with CN in both countries.
• CN crosses the US border at Sault Ste Marie. Huron Central connects at a major yard on the Canadian side of the border
• A joint CN / CSX tunnel passes under the St Clair River between Sarnia and Port Huron, Michigan. Canadian Pacific has trackage rights through the tunnel. CSX has its own line from Sarnia to Blenheim via Chatham
• A joint Canadian Pacific / CN / CSX tunnel passes under the Detroit River between Windsor and Detroit, Michigan. CSX has trackage rights over both Canadian Pacific and CN lines to Toronto
• A joint Canadian Pacific / CN / CSX bridge crosses the Niagara River between Fort Erie and Buffalo, New York state. CSX has trackage rights over Canadian Pacific on the Canadian side
• A CN bridge crosses the Niagara River a short distance below the Falls. The bridge is also used by Amtrak

Regional Passenger and Freight Operator

• Ontario Northland Railway North Bay (interchange with CN and Ottawa Valley Railway) via Rock Junction (branch to Sherman Mine), Boston Creek (branch to Adams Mine), Swastika (branch to Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, interchange with CN), Porquis (branch to Timmins), Welsh (branch to Iroquois Falls) and Cochrane (branch via Opaz Junction where there is a branch to the Agrium phosphate mine, and Hearst where there is interchange with CN, to Calstock) to Moosonee on the shore of James Bay. Total length of line about 700 miles (1125 km). Passenger services operate on the main line between Cochrane and Moosonee.

Regional Passenger Operators

• GO Transit commuter services in and around Toronto
• Algoma Central Railway (a CN subsidiary) operates local services and tourist trains between Sault Ste Marie and Hearst, about 296 miles (476 km)

Local and Regional Freight Operators

• Cando Ltd has several operations in Ontario:
  • Orangeville Brampton Railway Streetsville, Mississauga (interchange with Canadian Pacific) via Brampton to Orangeville, a distance of 34 miles (55km). Also operates a tourist passenger service, see Credit Valley Explorer, below
  • Switching services:
    • at Formet Industries, St Thomas, interchanging with Canadian Pacific and CN
    • at Invista Canada's Millhaven site near Bath, interchanging with CN
    • at Lafarge Cement, Bath, interchanging with CN
    • at Ontario Power Generation's Lennox generating station, Bath, interchanging with CN
• Essex Terminal Railway Windsor (traffic interchange with Canadian Pacific, CN, CSX and NS) to Amherstburg, a distance of 22 miles (35km)
• Goderich Exeter Railway London (interchange with CN) via Stratford (branch to Goderich via Clinton, with another branch from Clinton to Centralia via Exeter), Kitchener (interchange with Canadian Pacific and branch to Woolwich), Guelph (interchange with Canadian Pacific and branch to Cambridge) to Georgetown, thence by trackage rights over CN to Toronto (interchange with CN). Total length of line about 181 miles (291 km)
• Huron Central Railway Sudbury (interchange with Canadian Pacific, CN and Vale Inco) via McKerrow (branch to Espanola) to Sault Ste Marie (interchange with CN). Total length of line about 173 miles (278 km)
• Minnesota, Dakota & Western Railway switching railway near International Falls, Minnesota, interchanging with CN on both sides of the US border. A subsidiary of Boise Inc (Website contains no details relating to railway)
• Ontario Southland Railway three distinct lines:
  • Guelph Junction Railway Guelph (interchange with Goodrich Exeter Railway) to Campbellville (interchange with Canadian Pacific), total length of line about 24 miles (38km)
  • Tillsonburg Division Tillsonburg (interchange with St Thomas & Eatern) to Ingersoll, a distance of 17½ miles (28km)
  • Petro-Canada Division switching railway at the Petro-Canada refinery, Clarkson
• Ottawa Valley Railway Sudbury (interchange with Canadian Pacific) via North Bay (interchange with CN) and Mattawa to Témiscaming, Quebec
• Port Colborne Harbour Railway a group of lines between Port Colborne and St Catharines on the west side of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara region. Interchanges with Canadian Pacific and CN
• St Thomas & Eastern Railway Delhi to Tillsonburg (interchange with Ontario Southland) to a point near New Sarum, a distance of 34 miles (55km); trackage rights over CN to Glanworth, north of St Thomas (interchange with CN), a further 10 miles (16km)
• Southern Ontario Railway Nanticoke to Brantford (interchange with CN and trackage rights over CN via Hamilton to Rymal). Total length of line about 44 miles (71 km)
• Vale Inco has a network of private lines in the Sudbury area, interchanging with Canadian Pacific, CN and Huron Central (Website contains no details relating to railways)

Tourist Services

• Agawa Canyon Tour Train tourist train on the Algoma Central Railway between Sault Ste Marie and the Agawa Canyon
• Credit Valley Explorer tourist service on the Orangeville Brampton Railway. Dining specials, some with additional entertainment, operate at certain times. Passenger train is also available for charter
• Huntsville & Lake of Bays Railway from the Muskoka Heritage Place, Huntsville to Fairy Lake. Usually steam hauled
• Port Stanley Terminal Railway Port Stanley to Parkside, on the outskirts of St Thomas. Special events operate on certain days. Train available for charter, including for dining trips
• South Simcoe Railway Tottenham to Beeton. Usually steam hauled
• Waterloo Central Railway Waterloo to St Jacobs
• York Durham Heritage Railway Uxbridge to Stouffville
• Halton County Radial Railway Milton. Historic trams on a 3 mile (5km) line in a rural setting
• Heritage Railway Company steam and diesel hauled miniature railway in North Bay
• Niagara Falls Incline Railway funicular connecting the Fallsview tourist area with the Table Rock Center
• Toronto Streetcars historic trams (streetcars) operate as well as modern vehicles, summer Sundays only on route 509

Metros and Trams

• Toronto
  • TTC Subway (metro), Rapid Transit and Streetcar (tram)
  • Metrolinx public transport authority for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area, with reponsibility for several new urban and periurban projects, including the proposed Air Rail Link between Union Station and Pearson Airport
• Ottawa O-train Light Rapid Transit (tram)
• Waterloo proposed Rapid Transit system

© 2006-2013 Glyn Williams
Photo image © AJM Landry
Canadian flag image from CIA World Factbook
Ontario flag image from the RecreationOntario website