Timmins City Council has approved a six-month pilot project to provide first-mile / last-mile transit connection for Ontario Northland’s Northlander passenger rail service.
The pilot project will be implemented when Northlander passenger rail service begins, and is intended to make it easier for residents and visitors to travel between the Timmins-Porcupine Rail Station and destinations within the current transit service area.
In March, Council directed staff to examine options for connecting the rail station with the existing Timmins Transit network. The review found that the proposed train schedule presents two transportation challenges: the morning train is scheduled to arrive before bus service begins, while the evening departure occurs during the City’s reduced evening transit service.
As part of the pilot, Council has approved a service agreement with Timmins Taxi to deliver the shared-ride, vehicle-for-hire component up to a maximum of $6,000 per month for six months. Riders will pay the standard rate of a conventional bus ride, with the City supplementing the cost of transportation for morning arrivals and connections outside available bus service. Timmins Transit will also extend the current Route 16 conventional bus service by 90 minutes to accommodate evening rail departures Monday through Saturday with a direct connection from the rail station to the main Timmins Transit Terminal.
Throughout the six-month pilot, Timmins Transit will monitor ridership, passenger travel patterns, operating costs, and customer feedback. The information collected will be used to determine whether permanent first-mile / last-mile rail connection should be accommodated by Timmins Transit with fixed route bus service.
“We want to help make regional transportation convenient for residents and visitors,” said Mayor Michelle Boileau. “The return of passenger rail service is an important milestone for Timmins, and we want to ensure that people have a reliable way to catch the train. The pilot project allows us to review how people use the service and make informed decisions about Timmins’ future transportation needs.”
More information about the pilot project, including service details, will be shared before the Northlander begins passenger service.