Smiths Falls railway station in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada is served by Via Rail Corridor trains running between Toronto and Ottawa. It is unstaffed, with outdoor parking, telephones and washrooms.[1] Accessible parking, automatic doors and wheelchair access is available to the platform. However, as of June 2020 no wheelchair lift is available for boarding or disembarking trains at the station.[2]
Smiths Falls | |||||||||||
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| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | 46 Union Street, Smiths Falls, Ontario Canada | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 44°54′45″N 76°01′26″W / 44.91250°N 76.02389°W | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Via Rail | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 side platform | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 1 | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | Unstaffed station | ||||||||||
| Parking | 22 spaces (surface lot) | ||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Website | Smiths Falls train station | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | c. 2010 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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| Location | |||||||||||
  Smiths Falls station Location in Southern Ontario  Smiths Falls station Location in Ontario  Smiths Falls station Location in Canada | |||||||||||
22 surface lot parking spaces are managed by Indigo Parking. A pay meter is located inside the station; hourly, daily and monthly rates are available.[3]
History edit
CPR station edit
The original passenger station building was built by Canadian Pacific Railway in 1887. In 1999 the Smiths Falls Community Theatre began renovations on the station, installing the 140 seat Station Theatre into the old restaurant area. A small waiting area in the building was used by Via Rail until 2010 when the new Via Rail station opened.[4]
CNoR station edit
As Smiths Falls is a junction between multiple rail lines, it once had multiple active passenger stations. A 1912 Canadian Northern Ontario Railway station on a now-abandoned line (Canadian National embargoed their Smiths Falls Subdivision between Smiths Falls and Strathcona in 1979) is now a National Historic Site which houses the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario.[5]
New Via Rail station edit
On March 8, 2010, Via Rail announced plans to build and relocate to a new station located just north of downtown. The new station would have a distinctive tower. The new station would reduce scheduling conflicts between passenger and freight trains as the old station is located in the middle of a junction between two busy Canadian Pacific Railway lines and both the Via Rail's Smiths Falls and Brockville Subdivisions.[6] The new station consists of 400 square feet (37 m2) and was constructed with a budget of $750,000.[7]
Services edit
Smiths Falls station is served by trains on Via Rail's Toronto-Ottawa route, though some express trains pass through the station without stopping.
As of October 2023 the station is served by 4 to 6 trains per day toward Ottawa, and 2 to 4 trains per day toward Toronto.[8]
References edit
- ^ Smiths Falls train station
- ^ Weir, Laurie. "Disabled visitor to Smiths Falls disappointed with lack of accessibility at VIA Rail train station". InsideOttawaValley.com. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ "OT511 - VIA Rail Smiths Falls". Indigo Parking. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ Smiths Falls rail station gets 2nd act: New theatre a 10-year labour of love for community group, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Friday, May 14, 2010
- ^ "Smiths Falls Railway Station". Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
The museum is housed in the Smiths Falls Canadian Northern (CNoR) / Canadian National Railways (CNR) railway station. RMEO station building, is a National Historic Site.
- ^ Government of Canada and Via Rail announce new station for Smiths Falls Press Release
- ^ "Via Rail building new Smiths Falls station, Ottawa Business Journal, March 15th, 2010". Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
- ^ "Timetables". Via Rail Canada. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
Further reading edit
External links edit
Media related to Smiths Falls Railway Station at Wikimedia Commons