A WHOLE NEW LOOK FOR VIA RAIL’S BROCKVILLE STATION

Brockville, Ontario, July 23, 2015 – Today’s inauguration of the newly renovated Brockville station was attended by Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds – Grenville; David Henderson, the mayor of Brockville; and Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail Canada. This work was part of a larger project aimed at modernizing the national carrier’s facilities and infrastructure.

“VIA Rail is proud to offer more modern facilities to the 53,000 passengers who travel from and to Brockville each year,” declared Yves Desjardins-Siciliano. “This investment, made possible through funding from the government of Canada, will help ensure that travellers enjoy the best possible service as traffic continues to grow in the Ontario-Quebec corridor.”

The goal of the Brockville station renovation, which cost $1 million, was to modernize the building while highlighting its historical character. The new brick finish, as well as the bull’s-eye–style windows at each end of the building – a feature unique to this station – replicate the  original structure’s look, which dates back to 1872. A new display system for train schedules was also installed in the station to improve the travel experience for passengers transiting through Brockville. A historical interpretation site has also been set up so all travellers can learn more about the 143-year past of this train station.

Since 2007, the Government of Canada has invested $370 million in this region – from Brockville to Oshawa – in order to improve the services provided to travellers.

Project information
The renovation work includes:

• A new roof
• A new building envelope
• A new lighting system
• New finishes
• Replacement of doors and windows
• Installation of an automatic door and other improvements intended to support building accessibility for mobility-impaired passengers
• Demolition of an old building adjacent to the station
• Building of a passenger shelter
• Relocation of the outdoor mural – a distinctive feature of this station.

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada (viarail.ca) and its 2,500 employees are mandated to provide a safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across Canada, and safely transports nearly four million passengers annually. The Corporation was awarded seven Safety Awards by the Railway Association of Canada over the last eight years, and was the recipient of the 2012 Agent's Choice Award, voted on by Canadian travel agents and presented by Baxter Travel Media. Since 2007, the Government of Canada has invested almost a billion dollars in VIA Rail. About VIA Rail: www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail