Train riders in Northumberland County are touting the return of Via Rail’s commuter train service from Ottawa to Toronto.
The route will include stops in Cobourg and Port Hope — promising news for many riders, including Krean Naidoo. He says he has been driving from Cobourg to Toronto for work since Train 651, which served the Toronto to Kingston corridor, was cancelled during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020.
By June 2022, most of Via Rail routes impacted by the pandemic had reopened, but Train 651’s service was still derailed.
“To not have kind of dedicated service when we’re only about a 100 kilometres out of the city centre, I think is kind of a miss,” he said.
But on Monday, Via Rail announced a new early bird train 641 will run from Ottawa and arrive in Toronto before 9 a.m. Stops on the route include Belleville, Kingston, Smith Falls, and Brockville.
“It frankly saves me about two hours a day if I take this service versus if I drive,” Naidoo said.
Another rider, Andre Linksy, says his family moved east to Kingston expecting the train’s return. However, while he appreciates the additional time he’ll have at home, he says it comes at a cost.
“They took away the commuter pass, so it used to be about a $60 per day and now we’re talking about $100.”
However, Via Rail says the passes will be reintroduced before the end of 2024
When the route was initially cancelled, a number of area residents held rallies hoping for its return, including efforts spearheaded by Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Philip Lawrence.
“I guess, in one word, it would be, ‘finally,'” Lawrence told Global News on Wednesday. “Over those couple of years we certainly heard numerous stories from our constituents about the challenges that they face because of the lack of a commuter train.”
A joint project entitled “The Case for Getting VIA Train 651 Back on Track” involved a survey with residents from the counties of Northumberland and Hastings, and the cities of Quinte West, Belleville and Kingston. Of the 2,800 surveyed, 66 per cent said they used Train 651 to get to work and 96 per cent said they would use the service again if it resumed.
Letters seeking the train’s return were sent by municipalities to Via Rail and the federal government.
Via Rail says commuter service’s return came down to demand and the Crown corporation hopes to see results.
“We’re really making a call to everyone along this route to use this train,” said Jamie Orchard, Via Rail’s corporate communications senior advisor. “Because like every service we offer along via rail, we’re always evaluating if it’s the right use for our limited equipment.”
The early morning train service makes its return on May 27. Train 641 will depart Cobourg at 7:35 a.m. and Port Hope at 7:44 a.m.
Naidoo says he will be among its first riders. “I have a slew of workshops coming up and I definitely went in and booked the tickets already for those workshop days.”