St. Marys station (Ontario)
{{short description|Railway station in St. Marys, Canada}}
{{about|the rail station in Ontario, Canada|others|St. Marys railway station (disambiguation){{!}}St. Marys railway station}}
{{Infobox station
| name=St. Marys
| style = Via Rail
| image=VIA Rail Station, St. Marys Ontario 2852.jpg
| image_caption=
| address=5 James Street North,
St. Marys, Ontario
| country = Canada
| coordinates={{coord|43.2604|N|81.1365|W|type:railwaystation_region:CA-ON|display=inline,title}}
| line =
| other=
| structure= Staffed station
| platform=1 side platform
| depth=
| levels=
| tracks=1
| parking=Yes
| bicycle=
| baggage_check=
| passengers=
| pass_year=
| pass_percent=
| pass_system=
| opened=1907
| closed=
| rebuilt=
| electrified=
| accessible=Yes
| code={{GO Transit code|SM}}
| owned=Town of St Marys
| zone=
| former=
| services= {{Adjacent stations
|system=Via Rail|line=Sarnia-Toronto|left=London|right=Stratford}}
| other_services_header = Former services
| other_services_collapsible = yes
| other_services = {{Adjacent stations|system=GO Transit|line=Kitchener|left=London|right=Stratford|type=Express (2021-2023)
|system2=Amtrak|line2=International Limited|left2=London|right2=Stratford
|system3=Canadian National Railway|line3=London-Stratford|left3=Kellys|right3=St. Marys Junction}}
| mpassengers=
| embedded = {{designation list|embed=yes||designation1 = Ontario Heritage Act|designation1_offname=Grand Trunk Railway Station|designation1_date=1987}}
}}
St. Marys station in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada is a staffed{{cite web |url=http://www.townofstmarys.com/en/discover-our-town/Train-Station.aspx |title=St Marys Station |work=Town of St Marys |date=2016 |accessdate=6 January 2019}} railway station used by Via Rail's Corridor intercity train service. The station is served by one daily train in each direction between Toronto and Sarnia via London.{{cite web |url=https://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/files/media/pdfs/schedules/winter2018/24-25_Toronto-London-Sarnia.pdf |title=Corridor Schedule: Toronto-London-Sarnia |work=VIA Rail |date=18 November 2018 |accessdate=6 January 2019}}
History
St. Marys station was opened in 1907 by the Grand Trunk Railway to provide convenient access to the town centre of St. Marys. The station architect was E. Chandler of Stratford, Ontario. When the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) was built in 1858, St. Marys was served only by St. Marys Junction station, located 1.5 km north of the current station in an otherwise undeveloped area.{{cite web |url=https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=14804&pid=0 |title=Grand Trunk Railway Station |work=Canada's Historic Places |date=n.d. |accessdate=6 January 2019}} Following pressure from local residents to provide a convenient station closer to the town centre, the GTR opened St. Marys Town station in 1879, located roughly 400 metres south of the current station where the railway crosses James Street South.{{cite web |url=http://images.ourontario.ca/stmarys/3384702/data?n=6 |title=The Station at the Switch |work=Picture St. Marys |date=n.d. |accessdate=6 January 2019}} However, residents were still not satisfied with the location, leading the GTR to construct the present St. Marys station in 1907, replacing St. Marys Town.
In the 1980s, the Town of St. Marys acquired ownership of the station to protect it from possible closure or demolition. It completed a restoration and renovation of the station building, with an official reopening on 26 September 1988.{{cite web |url=https://stmarysstationgallery.ca/history/ |title=History of St. Marys Station |work=St. Marys Station Gallery |date=2018 |accessdate=6 January 2019}} The station is designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act since 1987. {{cite web |url=https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=14804&pid=0 |title=Grand Trunk Railway Station |author= |date= |website=historicplaces.ca |publisher= |access-date=July 24, 2022 |quote=}}
On October 18, 2021, GO Transit started weekday train service though St. Mary's, with one daily round trip between Toronto and London via the Kitchener line. Two years later in October 2023, the service was discontinued.
Station facilities
See also
{{Portal|Railways|Ontario}}
- Quebec City–Windsor Corridor (Via Rail) – trans-provincial passenger rail corridor which includes St. Marys
- Rail transport in Ontario
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/stations/ontario/st.-marys St. Marys train station on VIARail.ca]
{{GO Transit}}
{{Amtrak Ontario stations}}
Category:Via Rail stations in Ontario
Category:Railway stations in Canada opened in 1907
Category:Grand Trunk Railway stations in Ontario
Category:Railway stations in Perth County, Ontario
Category:Designated heritage railway stations in Ontario
Category:Designated heritage properties in Ontario