First refurbished Polar Bear Express rail car rolls off the line in North, Bay, Ont.
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
$17 million maintenance project employing 25 in Northern Ontario
The project will modernize 16 coaches that carry passengers to remote Moosonee, Ont. on the James Bay coast year-round. PHOTO: Rev40, via Wikimedia Commons
NORTH BAY, Ont.—Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne was on-site in North Bay late last week to unveil the first of 16 refurbished passenger coaches that will ferry passengers to the far northern reaches of Ontario.
Under a $17 million project, crown-owned agency, the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, is refurbishing more than a dozen rail cars to breath new life into the province’s Polar Bear Express—a passenger service that runs between Cochrane, Ont. and Moosonee, Ont. on the James Bay coast. The rail line is the only year-round connection to the remote town.
“We are proud to deliver the first car of the Polar Bear Express remanufacturing project,” Corina Moore, Ontario Northland’s president and CEO, said. “The refurbished equipment has been thoughtfully built to meet the needs of our passengers, and it showcases the quality refurbishment work produced by our Remanufacturing and Repair Centre.”
The Polar Bear Express has been in operation for more than 50 years and now moves over 55,000 passengers each year.
The project is supporting 25 jobs at the North Bay facility.
