Uxbridge railway station (Ontario)

Uxbridge
Heritage railway station

Station in 2013, showing the witch's hat style roof
Location 19 Railway Street, Uxbridge
Ontario, Canada
Coordinates 44°06′37″N 79°07′29″W / 44.11028°N 79.12472°W / 44.11028; -79.12472Coordinates: 44°06′37″N 79°07′29″W / 44.11028°N 79.12472°W / 44.11028; -79.12472
Owned by Township of Uxbridge
Connections GO Transit
Durham Region Transit
Other information
Station code GO Transit: UXBA
History
Previous names Toronto and Nipissing Railway
Midland Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
Canadian National Railway
Services
Preceding station   York–Durham Heritage Railway   Following station
Stouffville   YDHR   Terminus

Uxbridge railway station in Uxbridge, Ontario, now serves as a railway museum and a station of the York–Durham Heritage Railway. The station building, constructed by the Grand Trunk Railway in 1904, is owned and maintained by the Township of Uxbridge and has been designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.[1]

History

Original T&NR station in 1871

The Toronto and Nipissing Railway originally built a 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge line in the late 1860s, with service between Toronto and Uxbridge commencing in 1871. In late 1880 the line was converted to standard gauge and soon after this, due to financial reasons, was sold to the Midland Railway in 1881. The line was then firstly leased to the Grand Trunk Railway in 1884; eventually purchased by them in 1894; and finally transferred to Canadian National Railways in 1920.[2]

Grand Trunk constructed the current station building in 1904, with its distinctive "witch's hat" roof, to replace the more basic shed structure that had previously been used.

Due to the poor state of repair of the roof and the cost of renewal, closure of the heritage train station was discussed by the Township of Uxbridge Council in 2013. It was noted that the structure is important to the community and it is the only train station in Ontario with a witch's hat style roof that is being maintained in relatively good shape.[3]

GO Transit

GO Bus terminus

North of Uxbridge to Lindsay the line was abandoned in the early 1990s and the York–Durham Heritage Railway reopened the line to the south between Uxbridge and Stouffville in 1996.[2] That southerly section of trackbed was purchased by GO Transit to prevent abandonment and disposal,[4] because Metrolinx has long term plans to expand service on the Stouffville line to Uxbridge.[5]

Current GO Transit service consists of a connecting bus from the end of the line at Lincolnville and from Union Station Bus Terminal at off peak times when there is no train service.[6] These buses terminate at the GO Transit: UXBA bus stop here beside the railway station in Uxbridge, with the GO Transit: A276 ticket agency and bus stop located nearby on Brock Street.

References

  1. "Uxbridge CN Railway Station". Designated Properties Under the Ontario Heritage Act. The Township of Uxbridge. Retrieved May 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  2. 1 2 "History of the Rail Line used by the YDHR". York-Durham Heritage Railway. Retrieved May 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  3. Jennifer Walker (Jan 17, 2013). "Closure of Uxbridge heritage train station discussed". durhamregion.com. Metroland Media Group. Retrieved May 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. Daniel Garcia and James Bow. "GO Transit's Stouffville Line". Transit Toronto. Retrieved May 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  5. "Expansion Planning" (PDF). Overview of GO Transit Expansion Plans and Capital Projects. Metrolinx. July 13, 2009. Retrieved May 2013. Stouffville Service Expansion • Phase 1: expand service to all day two way • Phase 2: expand service from Lincolnville to Uxbridge Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  6. 70-71 Stouffville GO Train and Bus Schedule
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