Smiths Falls

Story

Smiths Falls railway station in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada is served by Via Rail trains running between Toronto and Ottawa. It is unstaffed, with free outdoor parking, telephones, washrooms, and wheelchair access to the platform.StationsCPR stationThe original passenger station building was built by Canadian Pacific Railway in 1887. In 1999 the Smiths Falls Community Theatre began renovations on the station, installing the 140 seat Station Theatre into the old restaurant area. A small waiting area in the building was used by Via Rail until the new Via Rail station opened.CNoR stationAs Smiths Falls is a junction between multiple rail lines, it once had multiple active passenger stations. A 1912 Canadian Northern Ontario Railway station on a now-abandoned line (Canadian National embargoed their Smiths Falls Subdivision between Smiths Falls and Strathcona in 1979) is now a National Historic Site which houses the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario.New stationOn March 8, 2010, Via Rail announced plans to build and relocate to a new station located just north of downtown. The new station would have a distinctive tower. The new station would reduce scheduling conflicts between passenger and freight trains as the old station is located in the middle of a junction between four busy Canadian Pacific Railway lines and Via Rail Smiths Falls Subdivision that connected with Ottawa. The new station consists of 400sqft and was constructed with a budget of $750,000.