By overlooked, I mean that virtually no one goes to Stratford, Ontario with the main goal of seeing the train station. This is a city famous for it’s theatre and for the Stratford Festival. This is not a city known for its historic rail stop.
But, this is a building you should at least take a few minutes to check out on a visit. After all, it is designated as a Heritage Railway Station and is recognized under the Ontario Heritage Act.
Below, we have an image gallery with photos from around the station. Further down, there’s more information on the history of this station and info on the city of Stratford. Even further down, you’ll find a driving tour video of downtown Stratford.
Stratford VIA Rail Station Image Gallery
For larger versions on any of the photos in the gallery, simply click on the individual pictures.
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About The Stratford Train Station
Located at 101 Shakespeare Street, not far south of downtown, the existing building has was opened in August, 1914. The first train station on this site opened in 1856. Today, it is served by daily service with VIA Rail four times per day on a route that runs between Sarnia and Toronto via London, Ontario.
This was originally owned and operated by the Grand Trunk Railway. In 1863, a young Thomas Edison worked as a telegrapher at this location. The GTR merged into the Canadian National Railway in 1920. CNR still operates freight engines in the adjacent rail yards today.
In 1988, the Stratford Station was recognized under the Ontario Heritage Act. In 1993, it was designated a Heritage Railway Station. In 1988, there was a tower included in the building. That tower has since been removed. You can see photos of the station with the tower in this article. Also gone is the roof that extended from the main rear doors over the tracks.
From 1982 to 2004, the International Limited ran by the station. The Amtrak/VIA passenger train began stopping in Stratford in 1990. The International traveled a total distance of 808 kilometres on a trek between Chicago, Illinois and Toronto, Ontario. The entire run took a little less than eleven hours and included 19 stops.
The International was succeeded by the Blue Water. However, this route is entirely in Amtrak’s jurisdiction and does not enter Canada. The route runs from Port Huron, Michigan to Chicago.
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway operated from 1852 to 1923 before being fully merged in the Canadian National Railway. The railway was headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. The head office, the Grand Trunk Building, opened in 1902 and still stands today at 360 McGill Street.
The railroad operated from Quebec to British Columbia in Canada and from Maine to Illinois in the United States. The three main subsidiaries included Central Vermont Railway, Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and Grand Trunk Western Railroad.
Several great railroad hotels were originally built and operated by Grand Trunk. These include the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper, Hotel MacDonald in Edmonton and Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg. The Highland Inn stood in the centre of Algonquin Park but was closed and demolished in 1957. If you visit the park, remnants of the foundation still exist, now hidden by forest.
The railway was responsible for the worst rail disaster in Canadian history. On June 29, 1864, a passenger train traveling from Levis (Quebec City) to Montreal missed an open drawbridge signal at the Richilieu River. The train plunged into a barge on the river. 99 passengers, all German immigrants, were killed.
About Stratford, Ontario
Stratford, Ontario is a city located 150 kilometres west of Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario. The population is a bit over 30,000 but the city has a much bigger feel due to the influx of tourists during festival season.
The seat of Perth County was incorporated as a town in 1859 and as a city in 1886. The historic Stratford City Hall dominates the downtown. The building was opened in 1900 and was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1976.
At one time, 40% of the citizens of Stratford were employed by the Grand Trunk Railway, followed by the CNR. The railroad’s locomotive repair shops were located here until 1964.
The draw to the city is the Stratford Festival. Originally the Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada, it began in 1953 and profoundly changed the city.
Stratford, Ontario Downtown Driving Tour Video
The following video takes a detailed tour through the downtown area of Stratford, Ontario. The clips were taken the same day as the train station images above.
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