ONR's "Northlander" Trainset arriving at CN's Aldershot Yard ~ 12/21/25

It's cold and windy. But there are still trains to be seen! I made the long drive to Burlington in hopes of catching the brand new "Northlander" trainset. The ONR (Ontario Northland Railway) bought 3 of these Siemens SCV-42 trainsets with hope to bring back a once popular train, also called the Northlander. The train ran between Toronto and Timmins, Ontario but was unfortunately discontinued in 2012 due to a low ridership and poor equipment. They are bringing the train back with the hopes of boosting Northern Ontario's economy, improve access to healthcare and education, support tourism, and provide a vital transportation link for residents who felt underserved after the service cut in 2012. Leading the train is a Union Pacific SD70ACe, specifically UP 8577. Usually these units never lead here so I was surprised to hear they kept it on the point. Overall, this was a pretty sweet catch. December 21st, 2025