#1Sep 28th, 2012
Sign of the times. Isolates the north.
Ontario Northland will have an extra seven buses on the highways over the Thanksgiving weekend to fill the gap left by the cancellation of the Northlander train, according to a spokeswoman for the Crown corporation.
The last Northlander runs Friday, a week before the long weekend that, according to Rebecca McGlynn, is “the busiest of the year” for the company.
Last year, just under 4,500 passengers rode the Ontario Northland system over the six days surrounding the Thanksgiving weekend, she said, from Thursday to Tuesday. Of those, 1,200 were on the Northlander, the remainder on the coach bus system.
“We anticipate a busy weekend,” McGlynn said.
Normally, the company has 24 buses in service daily, she said. Most of the extra buses will be added on the runs from Toronto to Northeastern Ontario.
McGlynn said the company does not expect the number to change after the train stops running.
“One thing I want to say is that the passenger services department has done a lot of planning and a lot of creative thinking to determine who they will meet the demand,” she said.
“The drivers, the dispatchers, the managers have all worked together to make sure we don’t leave anyone stranded.”
She said the company is confident it will be able to handle the demand.
The biggest change for passengers, she said, is that they will have to go to the Bay Street terminal in Toronto to board the bus, rather than using Union Station for the train service.
She urged travellers to get to the bus station early to buy their tickets, particularly on the long weekend.
According to Ontario Northland’s website, four regularly scheduled buses travel each way between North Bay and Toronto daily, with an extra bus added Fridays and Sundays.
Extra buses slated for long weekend | Local | News | North Bay Nugget
Last whistle blows for the Northlander rail run | TheSpec.com
Ontario Northland will have an extra seven buses on the highways over the Thanksgiving weekend to fill the gap left by the cancellation of the Northlander train, according to a spokeswoman for the Crown corporation.
The last Northlander runs Friday, a week before the long weekend that, according to Rebecca McGlynn, is “the busiest of the year” for the company.
Last year, just under 4,500 passengers rode the Ontario Northland system over the six days surrounding the Thanksgiving weekend, she said, from Thursday to Tuesday. Of those, 1,200 were on the Northlander, the remainder on the coach bus system.
“We anticipate a busy weekend,” McGlynn said.
Normally, the company has 24 buses in service daily, she said. Most of the extra buses will be added on the runs from Toronto to Northeastern Ontario.
McGlynn said the company does not expect the number to change after the train stops running.
“One thing I want to say is that the passenger services department has done a lot of planning and a lot of creative thinking to determine who they will meet the demand,” she said.
“The drivers, the dispatchers, the managers have all worked together to make sure we don’t leave anyone stranded.”
She said the company is confident it will be able to handle the demand.
The biggest change for passengers, she said, is that they will have to go to the Bay Street terminal in Toronto to board the bus, rather than using Union Station for the train service.
She urged travellers to get to the bus station early to buy their tickets, particularly on the long weekend.
According to Ontario Northland’s website, four regularly scheduled buses travel each way between North Bay and Toronto daily, with an extra bus added Fridays and Sundays.
Extra buses slated for long weekend | Local | News | North Bay Nugget
Last whistle blows for the Northlander rail run | TheSpec.com
