Washago station

Washago station is a passenger railway station in the community of Washago, Ontario, Canada (part of the Township of Severn). The station is located immediately south of Simcoe County Road 169, east of Highway 11.

Washago
Washago station in April 2019. The VIA Rail shelter is on the left and the former depot, used by CN is on the right.
Location3321 Quetton Street
Washago, ON
L0K 2B0
Canada
Coordinates44°44′55.6″N 79°20′06″W
Owned byVia Rail
Platforms1
Tracks1
Construction
Parkingno
Bicycle facilitiesno
History
Previous namesCanadian National Railway
Services
Preceding station Via Rail Following station
Parry Sound
toward Vancouver
 Canadian Toronto
Terminus
Former services
Preceding station Ontario Northland Railway Following station
Gravenhurst
toward Cochrane
 Northlander Toronto
Terminus

It is the first station stop after Toronto Union Station for Via Rail's transcontinental Canadian route. Washago was also the first stop northwest of Union Station for the Ontario Northland Railway's Northlander, until that train service was discontinued in 2012.

Services

The station is unstaffed with all ticketing and baggage handling services provided by VIA Rail onboard train staff. Tracks are maintained by Via Rail and CN Rail.

Station buildings

The station building was built by the Canadian Northern Railway in 1906, at a location 200 meters west of its present site and moved in 1922 to replace the Grand Trunk station that had been destroyed about 1913. The GTR station was north of the present station location, behind the Washago Hotel. The relocated Canadian Northern station was turned so its original canopy end was at the south end of the building and the bay window faced to the Grand Trunk side, but an additional bay window was added on the west side. The original station location was on Centennial Park Drive. The Canadian Northern originally crossed the GTR line with a diamond and interlocking tower, which was removed in 1920-21 when Canadian National Railway assumed operations of Grand Trunk Railway.[1] [2]

An abandoned CNR steam locomotive-era water tower at the station has been decorated and is used for the hamlet's water supply. The station itself consists of a transit shelter and platform with a small waiting room (grey structure) located by the tracks.[3] The white station building is now closed to passengers because it is used by CN for maintenance staff and equipment. Parking is limited and rest of the station area is used to store CN Rail maintenance vehicles.

The station in 2009

References
  1. Canadian Railway And Marine World magazine, February 1921
  2. http://canada-rail.com/ontario/w1/washago.html#.Wd8Ez7pFz4g
  3. https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/97554275

Media related to Washago railway station at Wikimedia Commons

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