Victoria Station (British Columbia)

Last updated
Victoria
Victoria railway station 2011.jpg
The 1980s era station in 2011
General information
Location450 Pandora Avenue
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada
Coordinates 48°25′42″N123°22′14″W / 48.4283°N 123.3706°W / 48.4283; -123.3706
Platforms1
Tracks1
Construction
Structure typeTrain station
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesNo
AccessibleYes
Other information
StatusClosed
History
Opened1888
ClosedAugust 12, 2011
Former services
Preceding station VIA Rail Canada simplified.svg Via Rail Following station
Esquimalt
toward Courtenay
Victoria–Courtenay Terminus
Preceding station Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Following station
Russells
toward Courtenay
Main LineTerminus
Victoria Station (British Columbia)
Location
Canada British Columbia location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Victoria station
Location in British Columbia
Canada location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Victoria station
Location in Canada

Victoria station was a railway station in Victoria, British Columbia, on the east end of the Johnson Street Bridge. The station opened in 1888, and was the southern terminus for Via Rail's Dayliner service which operated until 2011. The station closed on August 12, 2011.

Contents

History

In 1886, the E&N Railway began operating from Esquimalt to Nanaimo. [1] The station opened in 1888, following an extension from Esquimalt station to the station site.

In 1905, the E&N Railway was sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway. [2] In 1979, Via Rail took over operation of the passenger services of CPR. The former station building was built in the 1980s. [3]

Closure

Suspension of service

On March 19, 2011, Via Rail suspended service indefinitely due to poor track conditions and replaced it with a bus service. Eventually, on August 12, 2011, bus service ended and the station closed. [4]

Bridge replacement

As part of the Johnson Street Bridge replacement project, the rail bridge across the Inner Harbour was removed and the station dismantled. The station roof was eventually salvaged by the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority in 2012. [3]

Timeline

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Island</span> Largest island in British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is 456 km (283 mi) in length, 100 km (62 mi) in width at its widest point, and 32,100 km2 (12,400 sq mi) in total area, while 31,285 km2 (12,079 sq mi) are of land. The island is the largest by area and the most populous along the west coasts of the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Palace railway station</span> National Rail station in London, England

Crystal Palace railway station is a Network Rail and London Overground station in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. It is located in the Anerley area between the town centres of Crystal Palace and Penge, 8 miles 56 chains (14.0 km) from London Victoria. It is one of two stations built to serve the site of the 1851 exhibition building, the Crystal Palace, when it was moved from Hyde Park to Sydenham Hill after 1851.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Columbia Electric Railway</span>

The British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER) was an historic railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Originally the parent company for, and later a division of, BC Electric Company, the BCER assumed control of existing streetcar and interurban lines in southwestern British Columbia in 1897, and operated the electric railway systems in the region until the last interurban service was discontinued in 1958. During and after the streetcar era, BC Electric also ran bus and trolleybus systems in Greater Vancouver and bus service in Greater Victoria; these systems subsequently became part of BC Transit, and the routes in Greater Vancouver eventually came under the control of TransLink. Trolley buses still run in the City of Vancouver with one line extending into Burnaby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterfront station (Vancouver)</span> Metro Vancouver public transportation facility

Waterfront station is a major intermodal public transportation facility and the main transit terminus in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is on West Cordova Street in Downtown Vancouver, between Granville and Seymour Street. The station is also accessible via two other street-level entrances, one on Howe Street to the west for direct access to the Expo Line and another on Granville Street to the south for direct access to the Canada Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island Rail Corridor</span> Railway history of the Island Corridor

The Island Corridor, previously the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway, is a railway operation on Vancouver Island. It is owned by the Island Corridor Foundation, a registered charity. The railway line is 225 kilometres (140 mi) in length from Victoria to Courtenay, known as the Victoria Subdivision, with a branch line from Parksville to Port Alberni, known as the Port Alberni Subdivision, of 64 kilometres (40 mi), for a total 289 kilometres (180 mi) of mainline track. In 2006, the Island Corridor Foundation acquired the railway's ownership from RailAmerica and Canadian Pacific Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnson Street Bridge</span> Bridges in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Four known bridges have spanned the narrows between the Inner Harbour and Upper Harbour of Victoria, British Columbia, connecting Johnson Street on the east shore with Esquimalt Road on the west shore. The current bridge is Canada's largest single-leaf bascule bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonaventure Station (1887–1952)</span> Railway station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Bonaventure Station was the name of a railway station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Its name was later adopted by a commercial development and a metro station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Regional Transit System</span> Transit system of Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

The Victoria Regional Transit System provides public transportation in the Greater Victoria region of British Columbia, Canada. Its operations are governed by the Victoria Regional Transit Commission in association with BC Transit. There were more than 16.8 million riders in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax station (Nova Scotia)</span> Railway station in Nova Scotia, Canada

Halifax station is an inter-city railway terminal in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, operated by Via Rail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Harbour (British Columbia)</span> Port in Canada

Victoria Harbour is a harbour, seaport, and seaplane airport in the Canadian city of Victoria, British Columbia. It serves as a cruise ship and ferry destination for tourists and visitors to the city and Vancouver Island. It is both a port of entry and an airport of entry for general aviation. Historically it was a shipbuilding and commercial fishing centre. While the Inner Harbour is fully within the City of Victoria, separating the city's downtown on its east side from the Victoria West neighbourhood, the Upper Harbour serves as the boundary between the City of Victoria and the district municipality of Esquimalt. The inner reaches are also bordered by the district of Saanich and the town of View Royal. Victoria is a federal "public harbour" as defined by Transport Canada. Several port facilities in the harbour are overseen and developed by the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, however the harbour master's position is with Transport Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria–Courtenay train</span>

The Victoria–Courtenay train was a passenger train service operated by Via Rail between Victoria, Nanaimo, and Courtenay on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The service operated over the Island Rail Corridor. In March 2011, was suspended indefinitely due to poor track conditions along the line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sackville station</span> Railway station in New Brunswick, Canada

The Sackville station is an inter-city railway station in Sackville, New Brunswick. It is operated by Via Rail. The station was staffed until October 2012. The building is now closed, though Via Rail passenger trains continue to stop at the station. Checked baggage service is now handled by on-train crew members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail replacement bus service</span> Substitution of rail traffic by buses

A rail replacement bus service uses buses to replace a passenger train service on a temporary or permanent basis. The train service that is replaced may be of any type such as light rail, tram, streetcar, commuter rail, regional rail or heavy rail, intercity passenger service. The rail service may be replaced if the line is closed because of rail maintenance, a breakdown of a train, a rail accident or a strike action or to simply provide additional capacity or if the rail service is deemed not economically viable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtenay station</span> Railway station in British Columbia, Canada

Courtenay Station is a former railway station in downtown Courtenay, British Columbia. The station was the northern terminus for the Dayliner Via Rail service that ended in 2011.

The Wellington station located in the Wellington area of Nanaimo, British Columbia, was a flag stop on Via Rail's Dayliner service, which ended in 2011. The station is on the Southern Railway of Vancouver Island mainline. The station was named after the town of Wellington which formed around and next to the Wellington Colliery which was named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, a leading British military and political figure in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanaimo station (Via Rail)</span> Railway station in British Columbia, Canada

Nanaimo station is a former railway station in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. The station was a stop on the Via Rail Dayliner service, which closed indefinitely in 2011. The station is located at 336 Prideaux Street, Nanaimo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duncan station</span> Railway station in British Columbia, Canada

The Duncan station in Duncan, British Columbia was a stop on Via Rail's Dayliner service, which has been indefinitely suspended since 2011. It is located on the Southern Railway of Vancouver Island mainline.

The Esquimalt station is located in Esquimalt, British Columbia. The station was a flag stop on Via Rail's Dayliner service, which has been indefinitely suspended since 2011. The station opened in 1886, and was the original terminus of the line until the extension to Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria West, Greater Victoria</span>

Victoria West, commonly called Vic West, is an historic neighbourhood of the city of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, located just west of downtown across Victoria Harbour, bordering on the Township of Esquimalt.

Some railway stations in the United Kingdom have no services on offer from them, which renders the station effectively closed. These stations do not appear in the rail usage figures of the Office of Rail & Road as the stations receive no passengers. In order for the station to officially close, the Department for Transport is required to launch a consultation process before formally closing, under the provisions of the Railways Act 2005.

References

  1. Canadian Railroad Historical Association
  2. 1 2 BC Archives: Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway
  3. 1 2 "Victoria rail station roof salvaged for future project". Victoria News. 2012-12-04. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  4. "Old Canadian Train Stations, British columbia and the Territories". yourrailwaypictures.com. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  5. "Via Rail closing Victoria station". Times Colonist . August 11, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
An old Budd Rail Diesel Car at the site of the station in 1969 A Couple Esquimalt and Nanaimo Rwy (Vancouver Island) Photos (27480807166).jpg
An old Budd Rail Diesel Car at the site of the station in 1969