1141:, now the Westin Nova Scotian. The South End Container Terminal balloon track used to turn locomotives and passenger cars was taken out of service in late 2020 to create more storage space for containers and the balloon tracks were severed in the fall of 2021. As a result, the two F40PH passenger locomotives are coupled "back to back", unique for Via Rail trains, to allow the locomotives to couple to the opposite end of train in Halifax for the return trip to Montreal. This also resulted in the dropping of the iconic Park car (customarily the trail end dome car on Via's long-distance trains) from the Ocean train consist as it needed to be turned after arrival.
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ticketing/baggage counters. At the time of its construction, the station had a massive covered train shed which extended for 1,500 feet south over the station tracks to protect passengers boarding and disembarking from the weather. The earlier 1920 "temporary" station was converted to an attached baggage and express shed. CNR also had a coach yard with repair/service shop facilities for its passenger train equipment immediately southwest of the station's trainshed. Finally, a turn-table was located immediately southeast of the trainshed to permit locomotives and cars to be turned around, since the station was a stub-end terminal.
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Major budget cuts were announced to Via Rail in the 1989 federal budget which resulted in over 50% of Via services cut on 15 January 1990. The impact on the
Halifax Railway Station included cancellations of Dayliner service on the routes from Halifax to Sydney, Yarmouth, Saint John, Edmundston, and
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ocean liner passenger terminal by an overhead walkway that crossed the numerous sidings feeding the ocean terminal sheds. Frequently, CNR passenger trains connecting to ships would operate to the
Halifax Ocean Terminal, then back into the Halifax Railway Station afterward, or vice versa. A booking
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The station saw intensive traffic during World War Two, moving military personnel to East Coast bases and overseas. Station use declined in the postwar period as part of the broad loss of rail passenger traffic. Locals runs, which also served as suburban trains for
Halifax, were the first to be
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The station building was renovated at a cost of C$ 1.6 million over six months in 1988, a project that restored many of the original heritage features. The passenger waiting area was increased in size, from 5,000 square feet to over 8,500 square feet. The false ceiling was removed, exposing the
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The new, and present, station opened on June 19, 1930 at the south end of Hollis Street, opposite
Cornwallis Park. The structure is constructed of white limestone and has a colonnaded entry off Hollis Street. Inside, the Ticket Lobby has a high arched ceiling with a seated waiting area and
1110:. The Halifax Maintenance Centre was closed and sold for commercial use as workshops, warehouse and film production space. The station turntable was dismantled and filled it. Locomotives and passenger cars needing to change direction used a balloon track through the
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was designed by David
Stirling, who also designed the Provincial Building and St. David's Presbyterian Church on Grafton Street. The station was faced by the King Edward Hotel, located immediately west of the station, which stood roughly beneath the present-day
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During the 1980s, Via Rail continued to implement changes to the
Halifax Railway Station. The train shed was demolished after requiring major repairs to its roof. The former CN coach yard facilities were closed and the site razed after a Via opened its new
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a rebuild of
Canadian Naitional's old car shops near the turntable southeast of the station. The maintenance centre was responsible for overhauling and repairing the numerous Dayliners and many of the cars that operated on the long-distance trains in the
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intercity bus company shifted its service from its Bus
Station on Almon Street to the Halifax Railway Station, taking over the stub of the station's old baggage and express shed. The station remains connected by an interior walkway to the old
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on 6 December 1917. Passenger trains were temporarily diverted to the unfinished south end terminal tracks for two days. However the North Street
Station was quickly repaired to enable it to operate another two years before closing in 1920.
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The official start of construction is dated 31 July 1913 and equipment was moved into
Halifax by the fall. Crews proceeded from the north, with trains hauling the rock to the southwestern corner of
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The ICR's owner the Government of Canada, announced at a Halifax Board of Trade luncheon on 30 October 1912 that plans were being drafted for a major railway and shipping terminal at Greenbank, near
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by F.W. Cowie, a government engineer. This project required a deep cut extending up to 100 feet deep through solid Halifax slate for 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to connect with the main line at
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in 1858. The location was a considerable distance northward from downtown Halifax. The extension of the line to the south was blocked by concerns that locomotive embers would threaten the
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845:(CNR) in 1918. The CNR opted to locate a temporary new passenger station in the Halifax Ocean Terminal project at the south end of the city that fall and on 22 December 1918, the
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original 24-foot ceiling, which was restored along with the original skylight. The station building was officially reopened on 20 June 1988 by Halifax member of parliament
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located to the south. The first station was a large, plain wooden building with enclosed platforms. A horse-drawn street railway connected the station to the downtown.
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963:, was also built as part of the same project, although it opened 2 years later on 23 June 1930 and has a markedly different, yet complementary, architecture style.
737:(ICR), opened a magnificent new terminal railway station at the foot of North Street, south of Richmond and much closer to the city's downtown. This impressive
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The Halifax railway station continues the history of passenger rail service to the city and is the eastern terminus of North America's passenger rail network.
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also gradually reduced departures to a single daily voyage in each direction from the Halifax Railway Station to Yarmouth via Kentville and Digby.
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The plans to shift to a south end station were accelerated in late 1917 when much of the North End tracks and facilities were badly damaged by the
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The Halifax station was given federal heritage protection in 1991 when it was designated a Heritage Railway Station under the newly passed
635:, Via Rail's eastern transcontinental train which operates between Montreal and Halifax; thus it is also the eastern terminus of Via Rail.
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was also cut from 7 days/week to 3 days/week, but restored to its eastern terminus at the Halifax Railway Station, and the
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820:) and the ICR had plans to build a larger railway station and adjoining hotel, however Canada was deeply committed to the
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inter-city bus company moved its Halifax terminal from Almon Street in the North End to the Halifax Railway Station.
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The station was a long, single-story brick structure. Although considered "temporary", it operated for ten years.
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passenger terminal near the Halifax Ocean Terminals which included the new ocean liner passenger terminal at
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754:. The North Street Station and the waterfront terminal trackage leading to it were badly damaged in the
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A trans-Atlantic Ocean liner passenger terminal was planned for the Ocean Terminal piers (later
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upgraded to 6 days/week, however the train frequency at Halifax was not affected. In 2000, the
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and the North Street Station continued to be the only railway station serving the city.
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is North America's longest running "named passenger train" as it was introduced by the
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By the mid-1920s, CNR and the federal government were able to agree on building a new
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Ware, Beverley (21 June 1988). "VIA Rail station goes back in time for renovations".
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The new station and the adjoining Hotel Nova Scotian were connected to the nearby
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The NSR was taken over by the Government of Canada in 1867 as one of the terms of
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discontinued. CN cut one of its three daily Halifax-Montreal trains, the
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was cut from 7 days/week to 3 days/week, sharing its equipment with the
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Meanwhile, the ICR was merged into a new federal Crown corporation, the
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In 1978, CN and CP turned over their passenger services to new federal
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The newly built station alongside the Hotel Nova Scotian in 1931, with
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was dropped from Halifax when its eastern terminus was moved west to
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A route for the railway was chosen along the western side of the
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where it crosses Barrington Street opposite the main gate to
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service cancelled, however it was restored in 1985 and the
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A 1994 change to Via Rail routes in the Maritimes saw the
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Displayed beside the new station was the 1839 locomotive
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Via Rail station page for Halifax station (Nova Scotia)
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The first railway station in Halifax was opened by the
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1234:, Transport Action Atlantic, Fall-Winter 2021-2022
975:trains when large numbers of immigrants arrived.
943:. Halifax Station is on the far right beside the
1321:Buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia
1049:which was extended from its eastern terminus at
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1218:"List of Designation Stations: Nova Scotia"
693:at that line's southern terminus along the
629:The station is the eastern terminus of the
858:New South End station (1930–present)
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1220:Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act
1161:, Ottawa: Trackside Canada (2004), p. 61
1119:Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act
656:The Halifax Railway Station adjoins the
1159:The Ocean Limited: A Centennial Tribute
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995:, along with various local services to
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1212:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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709:North Street station (1877–1920)
16:Railway station in Nova Scotia, Canada
1260:Halifax railway station (Nova Scotia)
983:during the early 1970s, leaving only
893:which operated passenger trains from
609:is an inter-city railway terminal in
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1243:Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society
685:Richmond station (1858–1877)
14:
1316:Transport in Halifax, Nova Scotia
1289:"VIA Rail Guide: Halifax Station"
1114:'s South End Container Terminal.
1326:Via Rail stations in Nova Scotia
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1015:Changes in the late 20th century
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797:where it was dumped in front of
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913:to the Halifax Ocean Terminal.
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1043:with a former CP train, the
889:'s Nova Scotia subsidiary,
259:; 96 years ago
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1071:Halifax Maintenance Centre
843:Canadian National Railways
763:South End terminal project
729:. In 1877, a new federal
662:Canadian National Railways
276:Canadian National Railways
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1090:, and VIA Rail president
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1009:Dominion Atlantic Railway
891:Dominion Atlantic Railway
748:Angus L. Macdonald Bridge
658:Westin Nova Scotian Hotel
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801:to create the ICR's new
649:In the early 2000s, the
172:Heritage Railway Station
926:Stellarton, Nova Scotia
799:Mt. St. Vincent College
741:structure known as the
558:Show map of Nova Scotia
555:Location in Nova Scotia
242:Halifax railway station
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811:Halifax Ocean Terminal
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617:, Canada, operated by
1262:at Wikimedia Commons
1157:Douglas N. W. Smith,
1128:discontinued and the
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735:Intercolonial Railway
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644:Intercolonial Railway
86:44.63944°N 63.56806°W
743:North Street Station
719:North Street station
680:Predecessor stations
1230:"Lost Connection",
1027:at Halifax in 2008.
951:is at lower centre.
905:into Halifax using
803:classification yard
769:Point Pleasant Park
703:Royal Navy Dockyard
691:Nova Scotia Railway
91:44.63944; -63.56806
82: /
42:General information
1139:Hotel Nova Scotian
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961:Hotel Nova Scotian
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945:Hotel Nova Scotian
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591:Show map of Canada
588:Location in Canada
468:Following station
460:Preceding station
424:Following station
416:Preceding station
382:Following station
369:Preceding station
308:Following station
295:Preceding station
186:Bicycle facilities
50:1161 Hollis Street
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1258:Media related to
1098:Campbellton. The
1092:Denis de Belleval
1033:Crown corporation
831:Halifax Explosion
780:Halifax Peninsula
756:Halifax Explosion
731:Crown corporation
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1191:. Archived from
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1086:, Halifax mayor
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1197:. Retrieved
1193:the original
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1177:. p. 7.
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215:Station code
163:Construction
140:Maritime Bus
1300:, 2019-9-14
1088:Ron Wallace
868:RMS Olympic
625:Current use
615:Nova Scotia
147:Connections
89: /
65:Coordinates
57:Nova Scotia
1310:Categories
1199:2008-07-15
1145:References
1051:Saint John
939:docked at
870:docked at
486:Main Line
194:Accessible
77:63°34′05″W
74:44°38′22″N
1298:InfiNorth
1076:Maritimes
1005:Dayliners
957:CNR Hotel
773:South End
226:IATA code
112:Platforms
1208:cite web
1126:Atlantic
1104:Atlantic
1055:Atlantic
1046:Atlantic
1037:Via Rail
989:and the
937:Majestic
901:and the
895:Yarmouth
788:Fairview
699:Richmond
668:banner.
619:Via Rail
523:Location
492:Terminus
479:Yarmouth
454:Terminus
443:St. John
435:St. John
410:Terminus
402:Atlantic
393:Montreal
378:Via Rail
336:Terminus
319:Montreal
304:Via Rail
286:Services
106:Via Rail
102:Owned by
47:Location
1294:YouTube
1063:Moncton
1041:Scotian
1007:. The
986:Scotian
968:Pier 21
941:Pier 21
883:Pier 21
872:Pier 21
818:Pier 21
721:in 1878
672:History
611:Halifax
477:toward
474:Armdale
447:Halifax
433:toward
430:Armdale
391:toward
317:toward
262: (
249:History
237:Website
178:Parking
60:B3J 2P6
53:Halifax
25:Halifax
1001:Sydney
959:, the
949:Samson
922:Samson
733:, the
254:Opened
207:Status
123:Tracks
1130:Ocean
1108:Ocean
1100:Ocean
1059:Ocean
1025:Ocean
899:Digby
640:Ocean
632:Ocean
388:Truro
328:Ocean
314:Truro
1214:link
1023:The
999:and
947:and
717:The
638:The
264:1928
257:1928
219:HLFX
1292:on
697:at
231:XDG
197:Yes
189:Yes
181:Yes
1312::
1296:,
1210:}}
1206:{{
1121:.
1094:.
1078:.
1065:.
1035:,
928:.
897:,
833:.
775:.
621:.
613:,
445:–
115:3
55:,
1216:)
1202:.
266:)
126:4
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