What’s going on subway surfers, we’re back on the surface today exploring some more lost GO
Train stations around the Toronto area. Since the opening of the original GO train line in 1967,
the network has grown dramatically, with various new lines and stations added,
and existing stations upgraded to expand their capacity. Today, we'll visit five additional GO
stations that have either been closed or relocated away from their original site,
and we’ll explore their history, as well as what we found. At the end of this video,
we also take a look at a bonus station, that while not officially part of the GO network,
saw GO train service for two months. I’m Zach with Vanishing Underground, and let’s get started.
The first station on our list is Barrie, located north of Toronto in the City of
Barrie. The original station was located near the intersection of Lakeshore Drive and Tiffin Street,
roughly 200 metres west of the current Allandale Waterfront GO Station.
This station was originally service by CN trains, which were replaced by VIA trains starting in
1978. GO Transit took over commuter service on the Barrie line in September 1982, however opted
not to operate trains beyond Bradford. In 1990, GO trains were extended back from Bradford to Barrie,
operating a single trip bound for Toronto on weekday mornings, and a single trip returning
to Barrie on weekday evenings. Travel time to and from Union Station in Toronto was 1 hour 42 minutes, with trains
from the stop servicing all stations along the line. GO service at the station continued until July 1993,
when government cutbacks resulted in the final stop on the line being moved back to Bradford.
VIA service continued at the station until 1996, when the tracks north of the station
were abandoned, and the remaining VIA service was relocated to another line.
Today, the station building remains standing, having been declared a historic structure,
and has been restored. While the tracks through the station have been removed,
evidence of the former track bed remains. GO trains returned to the Allandale station in 2012,
with GO constructing a new station just south of the former structure.
The next station on our list is Hamilton, located in the City of Hamilton. The original station
was located near the intersection of James Street and Barton Street, roughly 200 metres
east of the current West Harbour GO Station. This station was also originally serviced by CN trains,
however also saw service from VIA trains starting in 1978. Amtrak trains also began
stopping at the station in 1981, running once daily between Toronto and New York City.
GO Trains began servicing the stop in May 1967, with two trains bound for Toronto on weekday
mornings, and two trains returning to Hamilton on weekday evenings. Travel time to and from
Union was 1 hour and 4 minutes, with trains from the stop servicing all stations along the line.
In 1986, a third round trip was added to the line, and trains were revised to operate express
between Clarkson and Union, maintaining the 1 hour and 4 minute travel time of 1967. In 1992,
VIA and Amtrak service ended at the station, being relocated to the present day Aldershot GO.
With GO Transit being the only remaining tenant at the station, the building was closed
in 1993, with GO relocated to a temporary ticket booth set up in the parking lot,
as well as constructing a new staircase from James Street down to the platform. GO continue
to service the station until April 1996, when service to Hamilton relocated to the present day
Hamilton GO Centre on Hunter Street, providing a more central access to Downtown Hamilton.
Today, the old station building has been converted into an events centre, with the former tracks and
platforms being converted to a parking lot. In 2015, GO also resumed service to the site,
constructing the new West Harbour Station on the opposite side of James Street.
Third on our list is Milliken, in the City of Markham. Located near the intersection of
Steeles Avenue East and Kennedy Road, this station was originally serviced by CN commuter trains,
which were taken over by VIA Rail in 1978. The station was originally on the north
side of Steeles Avenue, and contained a platform on the east side of the tracks.
Facilities at the station were limited, with a small ticket counter and platform shelters
being the only amenities provided. GO trains replaced VIA trains at the stop in September 1982,
with a single train bound for Toronto on weekday mornings, and a single train bound for Stouffville
on weekday evenings. Travel time to and from Union was 32 minutes, with trains from the stop
servicing all station along the line. GO train service at the station continued until 2005,
when the station was moved to its present location on the south side of Steeles.
This relocation allowed GO to provide parking, pick-up and drop-off facilities,
and a full length platform, which constraints at the previous site had restricted. Today, almost
no trace of the former platform remains, due to the construction of the nearby Steeles Avenue
grade separation necessitating the relocation of tracks through the former site.
The fourth station on the line is Newmarket, located in the Town of Newmarket.
The original station was located near the intersection of Davis Drive and Main Street,
roughly 200 metres south of the current station site. This station was also originally serviced
by CN trains, which were replaced by VIA trains starting in 1978. The station
contained a platform and station building, which provided an indoor waiting area for passengers.
GO Trains began servicing the stop in September 1982, taking over some service previously operated
by VIA Rail, with one train bound for Toronto on weekday mornings, and one train bound for
Bradford on weekday evenings. Travel time to and from Union Station was 54 minutes, with trains from
the stop servicing all stations along the line. VIA trains on other routes continued servicing the
station, with daily service running between Toronto and Vancouver, as well as twice weekly service
northbound to North Bay. Train service at the station continued until 1988, when it
was relocated north of Davis Drive to the present station in the Tannery Mall. Today, while trains
no longer stop at the station, the old platform and station building remain, with the building
being used as a tourist information building, as well as by the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce.
The final station on our list is Weston, located in the City of Toronto. The original
station was located near the intersection of Lawrence Avenue West and Weston Road,
roughly 200 metres north of the current station site. This station was originally serviced by
CN trains, with GO trains beginning to service the stop in April 1974. The station contained a single
platform and station building, with access to the platform from John Street and Lawrence Avenue West.
The station was originally serviced by 3 trains bound for Toronto on weekday mornings, and 3 trains
returning to Georgetown on weekday evenings. VIA trains also briefly serviced the stop in 1978,
with a single Toronto-bound train from Stratford servicing the station daily at 8:30am. Travel
time to and from Union was 19 minutes, with trains from the stop servicing all stations on the line.
GO Train service at the station continued until 2013, when the station was relocated to the south
side of Lawrence Avenue West. This allowed for the construction of a grade separated tunnel for the
CN tracks, which carried the line underneath King and Church Streets. Given the extensive
construction required for this, no traces of the former station remain, however given how recently
the station was demolished, old images are still available on Google Streetview in the area.
Before we go, we have one more bonus station to explore, which saw train service for two months
in 1996. Located off of Rama Road in Simcoe County, Casino Rama opened in July 1996,
and was linked to Toronto by a new train service named the Casino Rama Express.
Although operated by CN, this train used GO equipment, running 6 car trains during the week,
and 10 car trains on weekends. Trains ran from Union Station along the present day Richmond Hill line,
making stops at Oriole, Old Cummer, Langstaff, and Richmond Hill, before continuing north
along the line to Washago. From there, the train would reverse down to Casino Rama,
servicing a platform at the back of the casino property. A minimal six car train platform had
been constructed on the west side of the tracks, with an accessible platform in the middle.
Service on the Casino Rama Express began with the opening of the casino in July 1996,
with two round trips running Wednesday through Saturday, as well as on Mondays,
and a single round trip on Sundays. Given the long distance, travel time to and from Union
Station in Toronto was roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes. Service at the station was short lived,
with ridership on the line falling well short of expectations, and the schedule reduced to
only one daily train in September. Service on the line was fully cancelled on October 3, 1996, caused by
low ridership and the recent abandonment of the tracks south of the casino to Barrie. Today, most
traces of the former station have vanished, with the former rail line being converted to a walking
trail on both sides of the property, and the parking lot being expanded over the former tracks.
In the stations place, a 10 bay bus terminal services coach buses from various destinations,
which are more suited to meet demand to the casino property.
Thanks for watching! We hope you enjoyed this video, and learned about some lost GO stations
in the Toronto area. If you missed Part 1 of our Lost GO Train stations series, click the button in
the top right corner of this video to catch up. If you have any questions or we
got anything wrong, leave us a comment down below, and we’ll be sure to get back to you. As always,
leave a like if you enjoyed this video and want to see more, and as for us here,
we’ll be Vanishing Underground until the next one.