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ONTARIO ADVENTURE - by Terry Dougan
What a concept—a hotel in a train station! Sure, there are several, Glasgow Central comes to mind, but a hotel in a train station in a small Canadian town – population 5,700?
Last September saw me on Ontario Northland’s Northlander train, en route from Toronto to
Cochrane, Ontario. This train utilizes former single level GO Transit cars with upgraded seats
for long distance travel. On this day, the train consist was three coaches and one food service
car (with take out counter and tables), pulled by ON Rail GP38 #1806 and a former F7B for a
power car.
The hotel that I had booked for the night was The Station Inn at Cochrane. Upon arrival at
Cochrane, I got off the train and walked into the waiting room. On the left was the ticket
counter, and on the right was the hotel reception desk. I checked in and went up to the second
floor, and was in my room within 10 minutes of steeping off the train! The 23 hotel rooms take
up the second floor of the station, with a small lounge in the centre.
The hotel was incorporated into the station in 1991. Some of the rooms are a bit on the small
side, but quite satisfactory for a night or two. Rooms either face the street or look out over the
station platform and towards the yards in the distance.
A good restaurant is located on the main floor and can be accessed directly from the second
floor without going outside. It opens early in the morning so that breakfast can be enjoyed
before the departure of the morning trains. It also seemed quite popular with the locals.
The railway station hotel is able to work in this town as Cochrane sees the arrival of two trains
in the evening, one from Toronto and one from Moosonee. The trains then depart the next
morning for both these destinations. The station is also the departure and arrival point for
Ontario Northland bus services.
If you ever find yourself in Cochrane, it’s worth a try.
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