The Bala Subdivision's operations changed significantly after 1996, when CN registered a series of applications to abandon sections of the Newmarket Subdivision. This forced the remaining through passenger services along the Newmarket Subdivision south of Washago to relocate to the Bala Subdivision, namely the Ontario Northland Railway's Northlander and the Via Rail Canadian, the latter of which subsequently adopted a route similar to the pre-1960s Super Continental, and initially had a scheduled travel time of 4 hours and 15 minutes to Parry Sound as a limited express with only one intermediate stop, at Washago..
