(rshsdepot) Kingston, ON

[Bernie Wagenblast <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

Link:
http://www.viarail.com/corporate/en_bkgdr_20001018_kingston.html
(description of renovation project w/pictures)


VIA renovates Kingston station to handle growing passenger rail traffic
Kingston, Ontario -- 6/7/02 -- VIA Rail Canada officially opened VIA's
renovated Kingston station today, following a $2 million project to
modernize facilities for the growing number of passengers using the station.
On hand at the press conference to mark the event were Transport Minister
David Collenette, Peter Milliken, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the
Islands, and VIA Rail Chairman Jean Pelletier

"The Government of Canada is committed to the revitalization of passenger
rail in Canada," said Mr. Collenette. "As a key component of VIA's
Renaissance program and the $402 million federal investment in passenger
rail, the renovations reflect VIA's long-term commitment to bring more
services, better equipment and faster trains to the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal
triangle".

Noting Kingston's strategic location in the region, Mr. Collenette said that
"hundreds of thousands of travellers pass through this train station each
year, and the number is growing. There is a renaissance in passenger rail
well under way right across this country, and Kingston is part of that
renaissance."

Mr. Milliken said "I am delighted to see how VIA Rail is rising to the
challenge of building a modern, efficient rail service. This revitalized
rail station will be a valuable asset to the community, providing a valuable
service to the people who live and work here, for many years to come."

Improvements to the station include expansions and upgrades to the inside
waiting room and the passenger waiting area on the south boarding platform,
the addition of escalators at both ends of the passenger tunnel, a new
lounge for VIA 1 passengers and an additional ticket counter for improved
service during peak hours.

"We are working to meet the growing demand for passenger rail," VIA's Jean
Pelletier said. "And we have transformed this station into a truly modern
passenger facility - a facility that makes train travel throughout Eastern
Ontario, and beyond, a more convenient, attractive option than ever before."

Kingston Mayor Isabel Turner commented that "good transportation links are
important to any community, but they are especially vital for Kingston - a
city where people live, work, and attend school - as part of a of a growing
economic and industrial corridor reaching right across the province. While
Kingston conveniently connects with other popular centres, the city itself
is an exciting destination offering a variety of activities and
opportunities for many."

VIA Rail Canada operates Canada's national passenger rail network. With more
than 480 trains operating weekly on 14,000 kilometres of track, it connects
more than 450 Canadian communities from coast to coast. VIA trains carried
almost four million passengers in 2001. Recognizing the growing demand for
passenger rail, and its role in helping to relieve traffic congestion while
lowering greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation, the Government
of Canada has committed $402 million to VIA's Renaissance program for
purchasing new equipment, upgrading existing equipment, improving the rail
infrastructure, and modernizing and upgrading passenger stations and
facilities across Canada.


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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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