Published on May 19, 2026
The Government of Ontario is opening a new train line that will offer trips to Northern Ontario cities, connecting Toronto, Orillia, Muskoka, and Timmins, and offering new transit access to LIV’s new communities.
The Northlander will stretch 740 kilometres from Toronto to Timmins, with 16 stops, including a rail connection to Cochrane, where passengers can take the Polar Bear Express all the way to Moosonee. The service is reopening this year after being closed in 2012 by former Premier Dalton McGuinty. During Doug Ford’s initial 2018 election campaign, he pledged to bring the train back, and four years later, the province announced the purchase of three new trainsets.
These trains have begun their first rounds of testing and are on track to open in 2026, with no specific date yet released.
The Northlander trainsets feature one locomotive and three passenger cars. (Source: ontarionorthland.ca)
The full-length trip from Toronto to Timmins will take around 10 hours, and will be roughly four hours shorter and cost just 10% more than the existing bus service. The trains will include charging outlets, Wi-Fi, overhead storage, adjustable tray tables, galley-style dining service, and accessible washrooms. The trains will also offer options for private, office-like meeting rooms and spaces for bicycles.
Connecting Homes by LIV Communities
The Northlander is an exciting new amenity for two of our home collections. The Cedars at Brydon Bay in Gravenhurst and Serenity Bay in Severn are both just a five-minute drive from their nearest Northlander train stations, where trips to Toronto are expected to take around two hours.
The Northlander train line features several stops in northern communities. (Source: ontario.ca)
The Cedars at Brydon Bay
Single-Detached Homes in Gravenhurst
This new collection of over 100 single-detached homes is just off the shores of Lake Muskoka, at Evans Avenue & Wellington Street in Gravenhurst. The Cedars is just a few minutes from Muskoka Beach and is connected to Bracebridge and Orillia via Highway 11. It’s a five-minute drive from the Northlander’s Gravenhurst Station near Brock Street and Bethune Drive.
- Move-in ready 36’ single-detached homes starting from $699,990
Serenity Bay
Single-Detached & Townhomes in Severn
Serenity Bay is a new enclave of single-detached homes and townhomes right by Lake Couchiching at Grayshott and Turnbull Drive in Severn. The community will offer private access to the water, with options for 9’ ceilings and homes with 59’ foot-wide-lots. It’s just a five-minute drive from the Northlander’s Washago Station near Simcoe Road and Muskoka Street.
- New release 50’ and 60’ singles starting from $699,990
- New release 30’ and 35’ large townhomes starting from $499,990
- Move-in ready homes starting from $599,990
Are you interested in moving to a home by LIV Communities? Contact us to learn more today.
(Thumbnail Image Source: ontarionorthland.ca)
