London, Ont.’s VIA Rail station to undergo major upgrades

VIA Rail Canada has announced they’re providing a $25 million investment for upgrades to its London, Ont. station.

The upgrades will be completed in 2025, offering a more comfortable, more accessible, and more efficient station to “improve the passenger experience in London.”

"At VIA Rail, we are continuing to transform the way Canadians travel from reservation to destination, and this includes our stations," said Rita Toporowski, VIA Rail's Chief Customer Officer. "The investments in this station will allow us to enhance the customer experience in London, and also demonstrate the commitment of VIA Rail to continue being a key member of the London community.”

"The modernization of the VIA station will provide significant benefit to London and region. As the local demand for passenger rail service continues to grow, the improvements announced today will help make passenger train travel to and from London a desirable alternative for thousands of people in the London region,” said London Mayor Josh Morgan.

The nature of the upgrades varies from necessary civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical work to retrofitting and rehabilitating core building systems and services.

This work on the station is planned in four phases:

• Phase I – Civil and structural upgrades (already completed)
• Phase II – Building envelope refurbishment (already completed)
• Phase III – Passenger platform replacement (contract to be awarded summer 2023)
• Phase IV – Interior and base building services refurbishments (contract to be awarded fall 2023)

"We're going to be replacing the passenger platform and doing a significant refurbishment to the interior and base building services," said Toporowski.

During the announcement, more information regarding the return of commuter train service to Toronto was also released, including an improved schedule which drew applause from the crowd.

Toporowski added, “More importantly, they'll be running on schedules that the residents have been asking for. An early morning train to get into Toronto before 9 a.m. and a late afternoon train that will get people home at a reasonable hour.”

“It is critical to both the tourism opportunities, the enjoyment and entertainment opportunities that that Londoners have to reach in the Toronto area, as well as the business and economic development opportunities that that train and those connections create,” added Morgan.

Negotiations are continuing on when lines 82 and 83 will return, but VIA is aiming for some time in October.

"I think we can, if all things remain equal, if things continue as they are, we can remain optimistic about the fall. I encourage as professionally and politely as I can, CN and Metrolinx to continue to work with VIA to ensure that we can get to that specific outcome," said London North Centre MP Peter Fragiskatos.