NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO NDP
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QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario NDP members from Northern Ontario released a letter today they’ve written to VIA Rail CEO Cynthia Garneau. The letter asks on behalf of northern residents who depend on the VIA Rail Budd Car from Sudbury to White River.
Although this train is considered a lifeline in numerous communities it’s current schedule is north to White River on Saturday and south to Sudbury on Sunday. In previously years the summer schedule had always been Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday departures and returns on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
“This schedule is hurting my constituents,” stated MPP France Gélinas. “If you depend on the Budd Car for groceries or essentials from Sudbury you’ll need to spend a week in town at a hotel waiting for the trip home. If you run an outfitter business or guesthouse, you cannot book guests back to back because guests arrive on Saturday and leave the following Sunday. That’s big money that adds up fast.”
Gélinas continued “In the age of COVID people want to isolate; Northern Ontario has the room to isolate, but we need the tools to help residents and visitors take advantage of our vast geography.”
The Budd train provides flag stop service to many locations in Northern Ontario including: Amyot, Swanson, Franz, Lochalsh, Missanabie, Dalton, Nicholson, Chapleau, Nemegos, Kormak, Sultan, Biscotasing, Metagama and Benny.
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