Burlington GO Station
Overview
It is a stop on the Lakeshore West line train service, and was, for a time, the western terminus of the rail services. Most peak-hour and off-peak trains now terminate service at Aldershot or West Harbour, and a few trains link Hamilton GO further to the west.
There are extensive parking facilities on both the north and south of the station. A large multi-level parking structure opened in 2008, significantly expanding the parking capacity of the station. During weekdays, Burlington Transit serves the south side of the station, connected by wheelchair accessible tunnels under the tracks.
History
The original Great Western Railway station was built in 1855, just west of Brant Street, about half a mile west of the current GO Station. With the building of the Hamilton & Northwestern Railway in 1877, this location became a connection known as Burlington Junction. Coords:43°20′11″N 79°48′59″W / 43.33639°N 79.81639°W
The Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) purchased the Great Western Railway in 1882 and the Hamilton & Northwestern Railway/Northern Railway in 1888, and in turn was absorbed into the Canadian National Railway in 1923
That first station building burnt down in 1904 and was rebuilt in 1906.
GO Transit rush hour service was launched in 1967 and the new station location opened in 1980, with the old station renamed Burlington West. Via Rail service, which followed to the GO Station in 1988, was discontinued in 1990. All day GO Transit service commenced in 1992.
The City of Burlington acquired the 1906 historic station building in 2005. Renamed Freeman Station it had to be moved off site to allow for track improvements and with the purpose of having it restored.
Construction of a new 20,300 square feet (1,890 m) station building began in September 2012, and was completed in Fall 2017.
Transit connections
Burlington Transit routes:
- 1 Plains (board at Fairview Street-outside of station)
- 2 Brant
- 6 Headon
- 10 New–Maple
- 12 Upper Middle
- 50 Burlington South (Late Night Service only)
- 51 Burlington Northeast (Late Night Service only)
- 52 Burlington Northwest (Late Night Service only)
- 80 Harvester
- 81 North Service (peak service only)
- 87 North Service–Aldershot (peak service only)
- 101 Plains Express (peak service only)
GO Transit bus routes:
- 12 Niagara Falls
- 18 Lakeshore West
Future
According to Metrolinx documentation, the station is the planned end of electrification.
References
- ^ Analytica Associates. "Via Rail Station, Burlington Ontario" (PDF). Railway Station Report. Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ^ "Hamilton and Northwestern Railway". The Canada Year Book, 1879. Statistics Canada. 31 March 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
Connections made at Burlington with G't Western R'y (Toronto Branch)
- ^ "History & Architecture". Freeman Station. Friends of Freeman Station. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ^ "Freeman Station Relocation". City of Burlington. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ^ "Lakeshore West Line GO Expansion".
External links
- Media related to Burlington GO Station at Wikimedia Commons
- GO Transit station page for Burlington GO Station