Stratford station in Stratford, Ontario, Canada is served by four Via Rail trains daily running between Sarnia, London and Toronto. The station, though outside the immediate downtown area, is relatively central. The station building is wheelchair accessible. Via accommodates wheelchair access into the trains provided 48 hours' notice. On October 18, 2021,

GO Transit GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven millio ...

started weekday service though Stratford, between Toronto and London. The pilot service does not offer

Presto Presto may refer to: Computing * Presto (browser engine), an engine previously used in the Opera web browser * Presto (operating system), a Linux-based OS by Xandros * Presto (SQL query engine), a distributed query engine * Presto (animation s ...

access and riders need to purchase e-tickets. Two years later in October 2023, the service ended.

History

From the fall of 1863, a young Thomas Edison worked as a telegrapher at the Stratford, Ontario station of the Grand Trunk Railroad. onot, Robert: Thomas A Edison, A Streak Of Luck, Da Capo Press, p. 16Edison's father was from Canada and fled to US after the Rebellion of 1837. Train Station Stratford

Two structures remain that were built in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR): a two-storey, brick-clad, railway station building, and a one-storey express building linked by an overhead canopy. The GTR merged into the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

in 1920. In addition to serving regional trains, it served international trains to Michigan and Chicago, including the Grand Trunk's long-running '' Maple Leaf.'' The station buildings were designated as a Heritage Railway Station in 1993. The station is also designated under Part IV of the ''

Ontario Heritage Act The ''Ontario Heritage Act'', (the ''Act'') first enacted on March 5, 1975, allows municipalities and the provincial government to designate individual properties and districts in the Province of Ontario, Canada, as being of cultural heritage ...

'' since June 13, 1988. The Ontario Heritage Act designation notes that the station is built in the

Prairie Style Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hip roof, hipped roofs with broad Overhang (architecture), ove ...

of architecture, influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was erected by the Grand Trunk in 1913 and opened in August 1914. The designation covers the exterior of the whole structure, roof, masonry, windows, original doors and brick platforms (these were covered at the time of the designation in 1988). The building included a tower, that has since been removed. The ''

International Limited International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

'' was operated jointly by Via Rail and Amtrak between Chicago and Toronto. The service operated from 1982–2004.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stratford, Ontario Railway Station Via Rail stations in Ontario Buildings and structures in Stratford, Ontario Rail transport in Stratford, Ontario Grand Trunk Railway stations in Ontario Designated heritage railway stations in Ontario Designated heritage properties in Ontario Former Amtrak stations in Canada Prairie School architecture Railway stations in Perth County, Ontario Railway stations in Canada opened in 1856 Railway stations in Canada opened in 1914

History

See also

References

External links