Niagara Falls station (Ontario)

Niagara Falls station is a railway station in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. It is served by the Maple Leaf train between Toronto and New York City and is the terminus of GO Transit's Lakeshore West line towards Toronto.

This article is about the station on the Canadian side. For the station on the U.S. side, see Niagara Falls station (New York).
Niagara Falls, ON
Niagara Falls station in 2012
Location4267 Bridge Street
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Canada
Coordinates43.1088°N 79.0634°W / 43.1088; -79.0634
Owned byVia Rail
Platforms1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsNiagara Falls Transit Terminal
Construction
Structure typeHeritage building
ParkingFree; long and short term
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station codeVia Rail: NIAG
Amtrak code:NFS
GO Transit: NI
Fare zone84 (GO Transit)
History
Opened1879
Rebuilt1980–1990s
Services
Preceding station Via Rail Following station
St. Catharines
toward Toronto
 Toronto–
New York
suspended
 through to Amtrak
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
through to Via Rail Maple Leaf Niagara Falls, New York
toward New York
Preceding station GO Transit Following station
St. Catharines
towards Union Station
 Lakeshore West
Express
 Terminus
Lakeshore West
Weekend express
Former services
Preceding station Canadian National Railway Following station
Merritton
toward Aldershot
 Aldershot – Suspension Bridge Suspension Bridge
Terminus
Location
Niagara Falls station
Location in Southern Ontario
Niagara Falls station
Location in Ontario
Niagara Falls station
Location in Canada

History
Amtrak Maple Leaf train at Niagara Falls station

The Victorian Gothic Revival style station was built as the terminus for Great Western Railway (1879–1882) and Grand Trunk Railway (1882–1923).[1] The station was renovated in 1951 and the east wing was partially demolished in 1967.[2] It was later acquired by CN Rail for passenger service from 1923 until the 1970s since when it has been used by Via Rail and more recently by GO Transit since 2009. In 2012, as a result of federal funding cuts Via Rail Corridor trips between Toronto and Niagara Falls were discontinued, leaving only the single daily Via/Amtrak Maple Leaf service between Toronto and New York. In October 2012, the ticket agent was eliminated, replaced by an automated kiosk.[3]

GO Transit operated summer 'excursion' trains to Niagara Falls on weekends and holidays in 2009 and 2010, making them permanently recurring in 2011. Starting in January 2019, it also began operating a single weekday train trip to and from Niagara Falls. In September 2019, the formerly summer-only weekend train service was extended year-round.

GO Transit was expected to expand full-time rail service along the Niagara Branch to Niagara Falls by 2023 and with it upgrades to the station.[4]

Services

Amtrak and Via Rail jointly operate the Maple Leaf train service between Toronto and New York. It uses Amtrak trainsets, but ticketing is shared, and a Via Rail crew operates the train along the Toronto–Niagara Falls leg of the route. The station is served once daily in each direction. In March 2020, Maple Leaf service at the station was suspended indefinitely as part of a closure of the border to non-essential travel in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with trains truncated to Niagara Falls, New York.[5][6]

GO Transit operates the Lakeshore West commuter rail line between Toronto and Niagara Falls. The station is served by one peak-direction GO Transit train per weekday, and 3 to 4 trains throughout the day on weekends and holidays.

Customs

There are no pre-clearance facilities here or on the American side. For passengers coming from the US, Canada Border Services Agency officers process passengers on the train. For trains to the US, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers handle passengers upon entry into the US at the Niagara Falls Station and Customhouse Interpretive Center in Niagara Falls, New York just over the Whirlpool Bridge.

Niagara Falls Transit Terminal
Niagara Falls Transit Terminal

The City of Niagara Falls Transit Terminal is located directly across Bridge Street from the railway station. It is the main local, regional and intercity bus terminal for the area.

References
  1. "Heritage Walking Tour". City of Niagara Falls. Archived from the original on April 21, 2007.
  2. "Heritage Properties: Detailed Property Information". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011.
  3. Ricciuto, Tony (October 24, 2012). "Niagara Falls Review:End of the line for Via staff". Niagara Falls Review. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  4. "GO Transit service to expand to Grimsby by 2021, Niagara Falls by 2023". CTV News Toronto. June 28, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  5. "Service Adjustments Due to Coronavirus" (Press release). Amtrak. 2020-03-24. Archived from the original on 2020-03-25. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  6. Dickson, Jane (March 18, 2020). "Canada-U.S. border to close except for essential supply chains". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
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