Stratford station (Ontario) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stratford
Current buildings, constructed by the GTR in 1913
Location	101 Shakespeare St, Stratford, Ontario Canada
Coordinates	43°21′52″N 80°58′33″W / 43.36444°N 80.97583°W / 43.36444; -80.97583
Owned by	Via Rail
Platforms	1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Historic railway station
Parking	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	1856
Rebuilt	1913, opened August 1914
Previous names	Grand Trunk Railway
Services
Preceding station Via Rail Following station St. Marys toward Sarnia Sarnia–Toronto Kitchener toward Toronto
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station St. Marys toward Chicago International Kitchener toward Toronto
Heritage Railway Station (Canada)
Designated:	1993
Reference #:	15767
Ontario Heritage Act
Official name: 101 Shakespeare Street VIA Rail Station
Designated:	June 13, 1988

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.

Towards London, westbound VIA train 85 stops at 13:09 & westbound VIA train 87 stops at 19:55. Towards Toronto, eastbound VIA train 84 stops at 08:40 & eastbound VIA train 88 stops at 21:05.

History

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

Historic 1913 GTR station

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 in 1920. 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 since June 13, 1988.

The Ontario Heritage Act designation notes that the station is built in the Prairie Style 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 was operated jointly by Via Rail and Amtrak between Chicago and Toronto. The service, which had started in 1982, was discontinued in 2004.