Niagara Falls station (Ontario) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Niagara Falls, ON
Niagara Falls station in 2012
Location	4267 Bridge Street Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada
Coordinates	43°06′32″N 79°03′48″W / 43.1088°N 79.0634°W / 43.1088; -79.0634
Owned by	Via Rail
Platforms	1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Niagara Falls Transit Terminal
Construction
Structure type	Heritage building
Parking	Free; long and short term
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	Via Rail: NIAG Amtrak code:NFS GO Transit: NI
Fare zone	84 (GO Transit)
History
Opened	1879
Rebuilt	1980–1990s
Services
Preceding station Via Rail Following station St. Catharines toward Toronto Toronto– New York Maple Leaf through to Amtrak Preceding station Amtrak Following station through to Via Rail Maple Leaf Niagara Falls, New York toward New York Preceding station GO Transit Following station St. Catharines towards Union Station Lakeshore West Express Terminus Lakeshore West Weekend express
Former services Preceding station Canadian National Railway Following station Merritton toward Toronto Niagara Falls– Toronto Local stops Suspension Bridge Terminus
Location
Niagara Falls station Location in Southern Ontario Show map of Southern Ontario Niagara Falls station Location in Ontario Show map of Ontario Niagara Falls station Location in Canada Show map of Canada

The Niagara Falls station is a railway station in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. It's a busy spot where trains arrive and depart. You can catch the Maple Leaf train here, which travels between Toronto, Canada, and New York City, USA. It's also the final stop for GO Transit's Lakeshore West line from Toronto.

History of the Station

An Amtrak Maple Leaf train at Niagara Falls station.

This beautiful station was built in 1879. It has a special Gothic Revival style, which was popular back then. It was first used by the Great Western Railway and then the Grand Trunk Railway. For a time, it was the busiest and grandest station these railways owned.

The station was updated in 1951. Later, in 1967, part of its east wing, which used to have a restaurant, was taken down. From 1923 until the 1970s, CN Rail used the station for passenger service. Since then, Via Rail Canada and, more recently, GO Transit have used it. GO Transit started its service here in 2009.

In 2012, some Via Rail train trips between Toronto and Niagara Falls stopped. This left only one daily Maple Leaf train service. Also, in October 2012, the ticket agent was replaced by a machine.

GO Transit began running special weekend and holiday trains to Niagara Falls in 2009 and 2010. These "excursion" trains became a regular thing in 2011. In January 2019, GO Transit also started a single weekday train trip to and from Niagara Falls. By September 2019, the weekend service became available all year round, not just in summer. GO Transit plans to offer full-time train service to Niagara Falls by 2023, which will include upgrades to the station.

Train Services Available

Amtrak and Via Rail Canada work together to run the Maple Leaf train service. This train connects Toronto and New York City. Amtrak owns the train cars, but Via Rail staff operate the train while it's in Canada. When the train reaches Niagara Falls station, Amtrak staff take over for the journey into the US. This train runs once a day in each direction.

In March 2020, the Maple Leaf service at this station was stopped. This happened because the Canada-US border closed for non-essential travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. Trains then only went as far as Niagara Falls, New York, on the US side.

Besides the Maple Leaf, GO Transit also runs the Lakeshore West commuter train line. This line connects Toronto and Niagara Falls. Before the pandemic, one GO Transit train served the station on weekdays during busy times. On weekends and holidays, there were 3 to 4 trains throughout the day. GO trains continued to serve the station on weekends during 2020. However, in January 2021, Metrolinx stopped this service due to an Ontario-wide shutdown. GO train service to the station is expected to start again in the spring of 2021.

Border Customs and Inspections

There are no special US border inspection facilities at this station for the Maple Leaf train. This is because the station is right on the border between Canada and the US.

• If you arrive from the US, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers will check your documents at the station.
• If you are leaving for the US, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will check your documents at the Niagara Falls, New York station. This station is on the other side of the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge.

In January 2020, US Senator Chuck Schumer suggested that the CBSA should open a pre-inspection facility in the newer Niagara Falls, New York station. He thought this would make crossing the border easier and more pleasant for travelers. However, the CBSA has not yet set a date to open any such facilities in the US.

Niagara Falls Transit Terminal

The Niagara Falls Transit Terminal building.

The Niagara Falls Transit Terminal is located right across Bridge Street from the train station. It's the main bus terminal for local, regional, and long-distance buses in the area. Unlike the train station, the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario, owns and operates this bus terminal.

See also

In Spanish: Estación de Niagara Falls (Ontario) para niños