Smiths Falls station

Smiths Falls railway station in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada is served by Via Rail Corridor trains running between Toronto and Ottawa. It is unstaffed, with outdoor parking, telephones and washrooms.[1] Accessible parking, automatic doors and wheelchair access is available to the platform. However, as of June 2020 no wheelchair lift is available for boarding or disembarking trains at the station.[2]

Smiths Falls
Location	46 Union Street, Smiths Falls, Ontario Canada
Coordinates	44°54′45″N 76°01′26″W
Owned by	Via Rail
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Construction
Parking	22 spaces (surface lot)
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Website	Smiths Falls train station
History
Opened	c. 2010
Services
Preceding station Via Rail Following station Brockville toward Toronto Toronto–Ottawa Fallowfield toward Ottawa
Location
Smiths Falls station Location in Southern Ontario Smiths Falls station Location in Ontario Smiths Falls station Location in Canada

22 surface lot parking spaces are managed by Indigo Parking. A pay meter is located inside the station; hourly, daily and monthly rates are available.[3]

Inside the station

Railway services

As of September 2020, Smiths Falls station is served by 1 domestic route (with connections) provided by Via Rail, the primary passenger rail operator in Canada. Departures have been reduced to 5 trains per day due to the coronavirus pandemic (effective September 1, 2020).[4]

Toronto - Ottawa

Train	Operator	From	Via	To	Freq.
52	Via Rail	Toronto	Guildwood - Oshawa - Cobourg - Belleville - Kingston - Brockville - Smiths Falls - Fallowfield	Ottawa	1/day
42	Via Rail	Toronto	Guildwood - Oshawa - Cobourg - Belleville - Kingston - Brockville - Smiths Falls - Fallowfield	Ottawa	1/day
48	Via Rail	Toronto	Guildwood - Oshawa - Port Hope - Cobourg- Trenton Junction - Belleville - Napanee - Kingston - Gananoque - Brockville - Smiths Falls - Fallowfield	Ottawa	1/day

Ottawa - Toronto

Train	Operator	From	Via	To	Freq.
643	Via Rail	Ottawa	Fallowfield - Smiths Falls - Brockville - Kingston - Napanee - Belleville - Trenton Junction - Cobourg - Port Hope - Oshawa - Guildwood	Toronto	1/day
59	Via Rail	Ottawa	Fallowfield - Smiths Falls - Brockville - Kingston - Belleville - Trenton Junction - Cobourg - Oshawa - Guildwood	Toronto	1/day

• No local service between Ottawa and Fallowfield, or Guildwood and Toronto.[5]

Stations

CPR station

The 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.[6]

CNoR station

As 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.[7]

New station

On 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 two busy Canadian Pacific Railway lines and both the Via Rail's Smiths Falls and Brockville Subdivisions.[8] The new station consists of 400 square feet (37 m²) and was constructed with a budget of $750,000.[9]

References

1. Smiths Falls train station
2. Weir, Laurie. "Disabled visitor to Smiths Falls disappointed with lack of accessibility at VIA Rail train station". InsideOttawaValley.com. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
3. "OT511 - VIA Rail Smiths Falls". Indigo Parking. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
4. "Up to date information on our current service". Via Rail Canada. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
5. "TEMPORARY SCHEDULE Effective September 1, 2020" (PDF). Via Rail Canada. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
6. Smiths Falls rail station gets 2nd act: New theatre a 10-year labour of love for community group, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Friday, May 14, 2010
7. "Smiths Falls Railway Station". Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario. Retrieved 6 September 2020. The museum is housed in the Smiths Falls Canadian Northern (CNoR) / Canadian National Railways (CNR) railway station. RMEO station building, is a National Historic Site.
8. Government of Canada and Via Rail announce new station for Smiths Falls Press Release
9. Via Rail building new Smiths Falls station, Ottawa Business Journal, March 15th, 2010

External links

Media related to Smiths Falls Railway Station at Wikimedia Commons

• Via Rail station page for Smiths Falls station
• Smiths Falls Station Build