A VIA Rail passenger train makes its way along the tracks in Ottawa on Monday, July 11, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)
VIA Rail is investing more than $25 million to renovate Winnipeg Union Station.
The railway on Thursday announced the investment of more than $80 million to preserve its Canadian heritage stations between 2020 and 2025.
“Our Winnipeg Union Station is a crucial point of our Western operations,” said Francoise Bertrand, chairperson of VIA Rail’s board of directors.
“It plays an important role in our ability to deliver our mandate as it is part of the lifeline service to communities in Northern Manitoba and gives access to the iconic Canadian that travels between Vancouver and Toronto.”
VIA says all of the renovations to the Winnipeg station and train shed are being done within the guidelines of Parks Canada to respect the heritage characteristics of the 1911 building. The Winnipeg station also achieved LEED gold certification in 2022, making it the second station in VIA’s network to have received the Canada Green Building Council credential.
Since 2020, VIA has upgraded interior passenger platforms and worked accessibility into its stations with elevator and escalator upgrades, as well as exterior passenger platform replacement.
The railway’s other heritage stations include Vancouver Pacific Station, Halifax Station, and Gare du Palais in Quebec City.
