Richmond station (Quebec)

Richmond station is a historic building located on rue Principale Nord in Richmond in the province of Quebec. The current building was constructed in 1912 by the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) to replace the previous wood-frame structure which had been destroyed by fire.[4]

Richmond
Postcard view of the GTR station in 1915
General information
Location739, Rue Principale Nord
Richmond, Quebec
Canada.
Coordinates45°39′54″N 72°08′54″W
Owned byprivate
Construction
Structure typebrick station building
History
Opened1853;[1] 1985
Closed1981; 1994[2]
Rebuilt1999 restaurant[3]
Former services
Preceding station Via Rail Following station
Acton Vale
toward Montreal
 Atlantic Sherbrooke
toward Halifax
Preceding station Canadian National Railway Following station
Gore
toward Montreal
 Montreal – Portland Morse
toward Portland
Terminus Richmond – Quebec
Local stops		 St. Cyr
toward Quebec
Official nameCanadian National Railway Station, Richmond, Quebec
Designated1991
Reference no.6719

The brick building has granite lintels that give it a more refined look than the earlier stations.[4] The two storey central block has two symmetrical single storeys on either end, which have had dormer windows added more recently.

History

The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad acquired land in 1848 for their right-of-way through Melbourne Township,[1] which would open up the town of Richmond to business between Portland and Montreal. At the same time the Quebec and Richmond Railway was constructing a line connecting to Quebec City, making Richmond an important railway centre.[5]

The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad yard

Those two railway companies became part of the newly formed Grand Trunk Railway in 1853,[6] with the Richmond station located between the tracks at the junction of the lines.[1]

The Grand Trunk Railway was absorbed by Canadian National Railway (CNR) in 1923, who continued to operate the Portland-Sherbrooke line as its Berlin Subdivision. Richmond remained an important repair and maintenance yard until the 1950s.[4] Passenger service was continued by Via Rail until 1994.[2]

Following Canadian deregulation in 1989, short line operator Genesee & Wyoming formed subsidiary St-Laurent & Atlantique Railroad (Quebec) (SLQ) to operate the portion of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad line from the US border at Norton through to Sainte-Rosalie, where it connects with the CNR main line. This company has facilities beside the station[7] and a rail yard that stretches along the east bank of the Richelieu River.

Richmond station has been designated as a Heritage Railway Station of Canada since September 1991.[4]

The old station building was converted into La Vieille Gare de Richmond restaurant in the summer of 1999.[3]

References
  1. "Saint Lawrence and Atlantic Railway Land Agreement: Memorandum of an Agreement, 1848, Between Betsey Clark and the Saint Lawrence and Atlantic Rail-Road Company". The Identity of English-speaking Quebec in 100 Objects. Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN). 1848. Retrieved April 8, 2015. In 1853, Richmond became a junction for the Quebec and Richmond Railway line positioned on the east side of the railroad station and the newly named Grand Trunk Railway on the west side of the station.
  2. Matthew Farfan. "Railway Stations of the Eastern Townships" (PDF). Townships Heritage WebMagazine. Retrieved April 8, 2015. Via Rail service to Richmond and Sherbrooke finally ceased in 1994
  3. "La Vieille Gare de Richmond". Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  4. "Canadian National Railway Station, Richmond, Quebec". Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. 1 September 1991. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  5. "The train as an economic lever". Richmond: History and Coat of Arms. Ville de Richmond. Retrieved April 8, 2015. An important railway centre, Richmond is 76 miles (122 km) from Montréal, 90 miles (140 km) from Québec and 221 miles (356 km) from Portland
  6. "The Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada". Key Terms. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 8, 2015. In 1853, the Grand Trunk Railway Company began in the usual way, by purchasing five existing railway companies.
  7. "St-Laurent & Atlantique Railroad (SLQ)". Operations. Genesee & Wyoming. Retrieved April 8, 2015. We have a dedicated management team based in Auburn and Richmond, enabling the SLQ to provide personalized service to customers

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