Washago station

Washago
Washago station in April 2019. The VIA Rail shelter is on the left and the former depot, used by CN is on the right.
General information
Location	3321 Quetton Street Washago, ON L0K 2B0 Canada
Coordinates	44°44′55.6″N 79°20′06″W / 44.748778°N 79.33500°W / 44.748778; -79.33500
Owned by	Via Rail
Platforms	1
Tracks	1
Construction
Structure type	Unstaffed station
Parking	No
Bicycle facilities	No
Other information
Station code	WSHG
Services
Preceding station Via Rail Following station Parry Sound toward Vancouver The Canadian Toronto Terminus
Former services Preceding station Via Rail Following station Parry Sound toward Vancouver The Canadian before 1990 Orillia toward Toronto Preceding station Ontario Northland Railway Following station Gravenhurst toward Cochrane Northlander Toronto Terminus Preceding station Canadian National Railway Following station Sparrow Lake toward Capreol Capreol – Toronto Rathburn toward Toronto Severn toward North Bay North Bay – Toronto Floral Park toward Toronto
Future services[1] Preceding station Ontario Northland Railway Following station Gravenhurst toward Timmins Northlander (reopening mid-2020s) Gormley toward Toronto
Location Washago station Location in Southern Ontario Show map of Southern Ontario Washago station Location in Ontario Show map of Ontario Washago station Location in Canada Show map of Canada

Washago station is a passenger railway station in the community of Washago, Ontario, Canada, part of the Township of Severn in northeastern Simcoe County. The station is located immediately south of Simcoe County Road 169, east of Highway 11.

It is the first station stop after Toronto Union Station for Via Rail's transcontinental Canadian route. Washago was also the first stop northwest of Union Station for the Ontario Northland Railway's Northlander, until that train service was discontinued in 2012.

In 2021 the Government of Ontario announced plans to restore service using ONR from this station north to either Timmins or Cochrane by the mid-2020s.^[2]

The station is unstaffed with all ticketing and baggage handling services provided by VIA Rail onboard train staff. Track is maintained by Canadian National Railway.

The station building was built by the Canadian Northern Railway in 1906, at a location 200 meters west of its present site and moved in 1922 to replace the Grand Trunk station that had been destroyed about 1913. The GTR station was north of the present station location, behind the Washago Hotel. The relocated Canadian Northern station was turned so its original canopy end was at the south end of the building and the bay window faced to the Grand Trunk side, but an additional bay window was added on the west side. The original station location was on Centennial Park Drive. The Canadian Northern originally crossed the GTR line with a diamond and interlocking tower, which was removed in 1920–21 when Canadian National Railway assumed operations of Grand Trunk Railway.^[3][4]

A former CNR steam locomotive-era water tower at the station has been decorated and is used for the hamlet's water supply. The station itself consists of a transit shelter and platform with a small waiting room (grey structure) located by the tracks.^[5] The white station building is now closed to passengers because it is used by CN for maintenance staff and equipment. Parking is limited and rest of the station area is used to store CN maintenance vehicles.

Media related to Washago railway station at Wikimedia Commons

• Via Rail station page for Washago station

Geographic data related to Washago station at OpenStreetMap

External videos
"[ Canada Station] VIA Rail Canada Washago Ontario Station" on YouTube, USA Rail Guide, 2020-11-22