This article is about the Canadian passenger train. For the children's book, see The Polar Express.
The Polar Bear Express is a Canadian passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Northern Ontario. Service was introduced in 1964. While designated as a passenger train, the Polar Bear Express also carries freight and is equipped with specialized equipment including boxcars for canoes, snowmobiles and all terrain vehicles. There are also baggage and express cars. In the past a special car existed for canoes but now these are carried in regular boxcars.
This train service is the only Motorail service currently in Canada, with chaincars (flat cars with tie downs) for carrying cars and light trucks. There are no roads to Moosonee, so vehicles come in and out by train.
It operates five days per week year-round and connects Cochrane with Moosonee. During the summer months there is an additional train on Sundays and the train often includes a full-length dome car. Prior to 2012, the train carried a full dining car during the summer.[2]
Tickets for the passenger service are sold by phone or at offices in Cochrane, Moosonee, Moose Factory and Timmins. The train will stop on demand in some locations as part of the flag stop service.[3]
The town of Cochrane recommends taking the train to Moosonee for a "great rail excursion" in summer, to view the "hydroelectric dams, isolated homes and perhaps even some wildlife."[4]
The Polar Bear Express service was expanded on June 5, 2007, after increased funding from the Government of Ontario to ONR was announced in March 2007. It resulted in the discontinuation of the Little Bear mixed freight-passenger service which had operated three days per week, year-round, resulting in dedicated separate freight and passenger rail service to Moosonee.
Operationsedit
Polar Bear Express just south of Moosonee, Ontario
In summer 2008, track conditions resulted the train running very late much of the time (2.5 hours by railway announcement). By late 2008, running times had improved somewhat and timings of five and a half to six hours for the 186 miles (299 kilometres) - all distances are shown in miles along the tracks - trip were becoming typical. Service deteriorated significantly in 2009 mainly due to bad track conditions and mechanical failures — on one occasion the train, scheduled to arrive in Cochrane at 9:42 in the evening did not arrive until 4:00 in the morning.
Before the 2007 service expansion, the Polar Bear Express operated six days per week during the summer months. It leaves Cochrane in the morning, stays in Moosonee for a few hours, and returns to Cochrane in the evening. It was primarily used by tourists, although it was used by an increasing number of local residents.
The name of the train is misleading — polar bears are rarely seen anywhere near Moosonee, although there are some extremely rare exceptions.[5] The Polar Bear Express today mostly services the residents of Moosonee and Moose Factory when they travel south from their communities that lack road connections to the rest of Ontario. During the winter, many passengers are from communities further north who travel to Moosonee by winter road before taking the train, due to the high cost of vehicle transport. The motorail service is important to those living in the northern communities inaccessible by regular roads.
Prior to 2012 the summer train included special programs for children and an entertainment car.
Galleryedit
Polar Bear Express train
Moosonee rail station with Polar Bear Express train
Dining (snack) car no longer in use
Full length dome car Otter Rapids
Dining car on Polar Bear Express - no longer carried
^"Polar bear found feeding at Moose Factory dump shot dead".
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polar Bear Express.
Official Website
April 10, 2024
polar, bear, express, this, article, about, canadian, passenger, train, children, book, polar, express, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, . This article is about the Canadian passenger train For the children s book see The Polar Express This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Polar Bear Express news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Polar Bear Express is a Canadian passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Northern Ontario Service was introduced in 1964 While designated as a passenger train the Polar Bear Express also carries freight and is equipped with specialized equipment including boxcars for canoes snowmobiles and all terrain vehicles There are also baggage and express cars In the past a special car existed for canoes but now these are carried in regular boxcars Polar Bear ExpressPolar Bear Express about to leave MoosoneeOverviewService typeInter city railStatusIn serviceLocaleNortheastern Ontario CanadaFirst service1964 1964 Current operator s Ontario Northland RailwayAnnual ridership52 451 2019 2020 1 RouteTerminiCochraneMoosoneeStops6 scheduled flag stopsDistance travelled300 km 190 mi Average journey time5 hoursService frequencyVaries seasonally 1 TechnicalTrack gauge1 435 mm 4 ft 8 1 2 in standard gaugeRoute mapLegend4 50 Moosonee3 35 Moose River2 25 Coral Rapids1 45 Fraserdale0 15 Clute0 00 CochraneNorthlander 1976 2012 This diagram viewtalkeditThis train service is the only Motorail service currently in Canada with chaincars flat cars with tie downs for carrying cars and light trucks There are no roads to Moosonee so vehicles come in and out by train It operates five days per week year round and connects Cochrane with Moosonee During the summer months there is an additional train on Sundays and the train often includes a full length dome car Prior to 2012 the train carried a full dining car during the summer 2 Contents 1 Scheduled stops 2 Operations 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksScheduled stops editTickets for the passenger service are sold by phone or at offices in Cochrane Moosonee Moose Factory and Timmins The train will stop on demand in some locations as part of the flag stop service 3 The town of Cochrane recommends taking the train to Moosonee for a great rail excursion in summer to view the hydroelectric dams isolated homes and perhaps even some wildlife 4 nbsp Moosonee Railway Station c 1970s CITY TOWN NOTES09 00 DP Cochrane AR 22 0009 15 Clute 21 45 Flag stop09 41 Wurtele 21 18 Flag stop10 05 Island Falls 20 55 Flag stop10 26 Brownrigg 20 33 Flag stop10 45 Fraserdale 20 15 Flag stop11 20 Otter Rapids 19 40 Flag stop11 26 Coral Rapids 19 33 Flag stop11 52 Ranoke 19 07 Flag stop12 14 Onakawana 18 45 Flag stop12 40 Moose River 18 19 Flag stop13 04 Renison 17 55 Flag stop13 28 Galeton 17 31 Flag stop14 00 AR Moosonee DP 17 00The Polar Bear Express service was expanded on June 5 2007 after increased funding from the Government of Ontario to ONR was announced in March 2007 It resulted in the discontinuation of the Little Bear mixed freight passenger service which had operated three days per week year round resulting in dedicated separate freight and passenger rail service to Moosonee Operations edit nbsp Polar Bear Express just south of Moosonee OntarioIn summer 2008 track conditions resulted the train running very late much of the time 2 5 hours by railway announcement By late 2008 running times had improved somewhat and timings of five and a half to six hours for the 186 miles 299 kilometres all distances are shown in miles along the tracks trip were becoming typical Service deteriorated significantly in 2009 mainly due to bad track conditions and mechanical failures on one occasion the train scheduled to arrive in Cochrane at 9 42 in the evening did not arrive until 4 00 in the morning Before the 2007 service expansion the Polar Bear Express operated six days per week during the summer months It leaves Cochrane in the morning stays in Moosonee for a few hours and returns to Cochrane in the evening It was primarily used by tourists although it was used by an increasing number of local residents The name of the train is misleading polar bears are rarely seen anywhere near Moosonee although there are some extremely rare exceptions 5 The Polar Bear Express today mostly services the residents of Moosonee and Moose Factory when they travel south from their communities that lack road connections to the rest of Ontario During the winter many passengers are from communities further north who travel to Moosonee by winter road before taking the train due to the high cost of vehicle transport The motorail service is important to those living in the northern communities inaccessible by regular roads Prior to 2012 the summer train included special programs for children and an entertainment car Gallery edit nbsp Polar Bear Express train nbsp Moosonee rail station with Polar Bear Express train nbsp Dining snack car no longer in use nbsp Full length dome car Otter Rapids nbsp Dining car on Polar Bear Express no longer carried nbsp Children s play area no longer carriedSee also editNorthlanderReferences edit a b Ontario Northland Transportation Commission Annual Report 2019 2020 PDF Report Travelling on the Train 9 March 2015 Retrieved 15 March 2021 Travelling on the Train Retrieved 15 March 2021 EXPLORE amp DO Retrieved 15 March 2021 Polar bear found feeding at Moose Factory dump shot dead External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polar Bear Express Official Website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Polar Bear Express amp oldid 1216978728, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
