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Stratford station (Ontario)

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Stratford
BERJAYA
Current buildings, constructed by the GTR in 1913
General information
Location101 Shakespeare St, Stratford, Ontario
Canada
Coordinates43°21′52″N 80°58′33″W / 43.36444°N 80.97583°W / 43.36444; -80.97583
Owned byVia Rail
Platforms1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeUnstaffed station; Historic railway station
ParkingYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeGO Transit: SF
History
Opened1856
Rebuilt1913, opened August 1914
Previous namesGrand Trunk Railway
Services
Preceding station BERJAYA Via Rail Following station
St. Marys
toward Sarnia
 Sarnia–Toronto Kitchener
toward Toronto
Preceding station BERJAYA GO Transit Following station
Terminus Kitchener
(express)
 Kitchener
towards Union
Former services
Preceding station BERJAYA Amtrak Following station
St. Marys
toward Chicago
 International Kitchener
toward Toronto
Preceding station Canadian National Railway Following station
St. Pauls
toward Sarnia
 Sarnia – Toronto
via Lucan Crossing		 Shakespeare
toward Toronto
St. Pauls
toward London
 London – Stratford Terminus
Sebringville
toward Goderich
 Goderich – Stratford
Terminus Stratford – Fort Erie Tavistock
toward Fort Erie
Designated1993
Reference no.15767
Official name
101 Shakespeare Street VIA Rail Station
DesignatedJune 13, 1988
Location
Map

Stratford station is a railway station in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. It is served by Via Rail services between Toronto, London and Sarnia, and is the western terminus of the GO Transit Kitchener line.

History

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From the fall of 1863, a young Thomas Edison worked as a telegrapher at the Stratford, Ontario station of the Grand Trunk Railroad. [1] Edison's father was from Canada and fled to US after the Rebellion of 1837.

BERJAYA
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. 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.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]

The International Limited was operated jointly by Via Rail and Amtrak between Chicago and Toronto. The service operated from 1982–2004.[5]

On October 18, 2021, a GO Transit pilot project began weekday service to London, with a stop in Stratford. The pilot ended in 2023.[6][7]

In July 2026, GO Transit restored one daily round trip between Stratford and Toronto. Weekday trains are timed to support commuting, while weekend trains are timed to support tourism to Stratford.[8][9]

Services

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As of July 2026, Stratford station is served by two trains per day in each direction:

  • One daily round trip on the Via Rail Corridor between Toronto and Sarnia
  • One daily round trip on the GO Transit Kitchener line between Toronto and Stratford. On weekdays, GO services depart Stratford in the morning to Toronto, returning in the evening. On weekends, GO services depart Toronto in the morning to Stratford, returning to Toronto in the evening..[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Conot, Robert. Thomas A Edison, A Streak of Luck. Da Capo Press. p. 16.
  2. ↑ Former Canadian National Railways (VIA Rail) Station . Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Address: 101 Shakespeare Street VIA Rail Station" (PDF). .stratfordcanada.ca. City of Stratford. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  4. ↑ By-law Number 111-88 of the Corporation of the City of Stratford [(Can be read at Stratford City Hall or via email from the City Clerk's office)] (By-law 111-88). June 13, 1988.
  5. ↑ Melzer, Matt (23 April 2004). "Final Run of the Amtrak / VIA International". TrainWeb.org. Retrieved 4 August 2015. From 1982, Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada had jointly operated the International train between Chicago and Toronto
  6. ↑ "GO Train pilot to London brings connections to Southwest Ontario". Metrolinx. Sep 14, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ↑ Atwood, Bill (Apr 17, 2026). "GO Transit service is returning to Stratford". The Stratford Beacon Herald. Retrieved July 5, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ↑ "Ontario Extending GO Train Service to Stratford". Government of Ontario. April 17, 2026. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  9. ↑ "GO train service expands to Stratford starting next week". Cambridge Today. Retrieved July 5, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ↑ "Kitchener Line timetable" (PDF). Metrolinx. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
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