A federal investment in new VIA Rail passenger cars should prompt a closer look at extending train service to Thunder Bay, says a northern transportation writer who argues residents need more ways to reach health care, education and other services.

In an interview with the Kenora Miner & News, Éric Boutilier, who writes and edits the self-published Northern Tracks blog, outlined his proposal to extend VIA Rail’s existing Sudbury–White River train along Lake Superior’s North Shore.

“It would provide a legitimate transportation alternative for seniors, students, and medical patients,” he said.

“It would give them access to services in Thunder Bay or in Sudbury, for that matter, that are otherwise not available in their communities.”

The federal government announced more than $4.7 billion in September to acquire and maintain 313 passenger rail cars from Alstom Canada for VIA Rail’s long-distance, regional and remote services. Manufacturing will take place in Thunder Bay and La Pocatière, Que., with the first cars expected to enter service in 2031 and full deployment anticipated by 2035.

According to Transport Canada, passenger cars in that fleet average approximately 77 years old, with much of the equipment approaching the end of its useful life. The replacement cars are intended to improve reliability, accessibility and comfort.

The announcement funds fleet renewal. It does not approve the North Shore extension Boutilier is proposing.

“I think it creates an opportunity to look at maybe extending the service,” he said.

Boutilier said residents who cannot drive long distances have limited alternatives for reaching larger centres. Air travel can be expensive, while an overnight bus trip may be difficult for someone travelling for medical care.

He also sees passenger rail as another option when highway travel is disrupted by collisions or bad weather, although he acknowledged that dependable equipment would be essential.

His proposal would extend a service that already operates between Sudbury and White River, rather than establish an entirely new train route.

Boutilier said the existing trip covers roughly 480 kilometres and takes about eight hours. Reaching Thunder Bay would add approximately 400 kilometres and, based on historical timetables, potentially another four or five hours.

That longer journey would require an examination of staffing, equipment and railway capacity. In his column, he identifies existing CPKC tracks west of White River as the potential route.

Boutilier said a business case should assess infrastructure and station conditions, costs, projected ridership and travel patterns. Communities and First Nations along the corridor would need to be consulted about their transportation needs.

He pointed to the business case prepared for Ontario’s Northlander restoration as an example of the detailed assessment needed before making decisions.

Daily service would be welcome, he said, but the frequency and location of stops should be informed by that work.

“What are ridership projections?” he said. “What are natural travel patterns?”

Political support would also be needed from federal, provincial and municipal governments and First Nations, he said, followed by direction to VIA Rail to pursue the extension.

Reliable service is already a concern on the existing route. Boutilier said records he obtained through an access-to-information request showed 44 Sudbury–White River service cancellations in 2025, largely because of mechanical failures. He said VIA Rail did not provide alternative transportation for those cancelled services.

He said those disruptions affected a route serving small communities with few transportation alternatives.

A VIA Rail maintenance document linked in his column states the company invested approximately $9 million over five years to keep the equipment assigned to the Sudbury service operational, including $2.25 million in 2025.

The document outlines engine replacements and other repairs, efforts to improve parts availability and a review of whether other legacy equipment could be redeployed to maintain service when failures occur.

For Kenora-area residents, Boutilier sees a separate opportunity to improve access to passenger trains already travelling through the region.

VIA Rail’s Toronto–Vancouver service, the Canadian, stops at Sioux Lookout, Redditt and Minaki. Boutilier said better reliability and connecting shuttles could make that service more useful to people travelling to and from Kenora.

He said the Canadian can experience lengthy delays, sometimes leaving passengers waiting for hours at stops without shelter.

He suggested a partnership involving the city or an intercity transportation provider could help passengers complete the trip between a railway stop and their destination.

Extending the proposed North Shore service beyond Thunder Bay toward Kenora and Winnipeg would be a larger undertaking, he said, requiring more crews and equipment.

“I think that goes beyond the scope of what my column is suggesting.”

Boutilier said passenger rail could help smaller northern communities retain seniors and attract residents by providing access to services without requiring long drives.

He does not see trains as a complete answer to the region’s transportation challenges, but as one part of a broader network.

For residents who must leave their communities for specialized medical care, he said, transportation is part of making that care accessible. He questioned what it would cost to provide the same specialized services in every small community, compared with helping residents reach centres where those services already exist.

“This could be seen as an alternative to get people access to the service that they need without the stress of having to drive there.”

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