Niagara Region announced on September 1st. 2022 that it has acquired the historic train stations at St. Catharines and Niagara Falls, along with the surrounding lands, from VIA Rail as part of a significant redevelopment of the two station sites.
This implements a critical piece of the Region’s GO Station Development Strategy and when complete, will see new multi-modal bus-meets-train connections at the two heritage station sites, supporting planned increases of GO train service to Niagara.
The Region committed $40 million as part of its station development strategy back in 2016, and has been advancing numerous enabling projects across the two station sites together with the Cities of St. Catharines and Niagara Falls. Planned investments at both sites were announced on September 1st:
Niagara Region and VIA Rail have been working since 2019 to transfer the St. Catharines and Niagara Falls station to Niagara Region. Niagara Regional council has approved the terms of the station transfer, VIA Rail’s Board of Directors has also approved of the transfer in principle pending approval from Parks Canada for the disposition of a heritage railway station. Upon approval from Parks Canada the two parties are positioned to immediately transfer station ownership.
Bruno Cacciola, Chief Business Transformation Officer for VIA Rail confirmed that the cross-border Amtrak service to Buffalo and New York will continue to serve the two stations: “The transfer of ownership to the Niagara Region of these two stations, pending the usual regulatory process involving a formal approval from Parks Canada, will benefit the community and will give options in order to enhance service to the region. This agreement will also allow VIA Rail to continue offering the Maple Leaf service with our partner, Amtrak, and therefore bring thousands of tourists to the region.”