Audio Transcript

 

Go ahead and keep walking while we talk about this point of interest, it's the huge building right in front of you! That's Union Station!

Union Station was for many years an important transportation hub in the region. Thousands of immigrants passed through its halls, and it was home to the regional office of the Canadian National Railway.

Via Rail took over in 1978 though, and as of 2020, have been operating out of Union Station ever since. At present, Union Station is used by two trains: the Toronto to Vancouver Canadian, and the Winnipeg to Churchill train.
 

Side note - the famous Winnipeg Forks, the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, is right behind the VIA Rail building. If you haven't been there, it's a must see in Winnipeg! If you'd like to visit now, go ahead! The tour will pick up right where you left off when you're done!

Alright, now back to the Railway Museum!

 

In 1877, when the first spike in a track connecting Winnipeg to Minnesota was driven, the world was about to change faster and in ways no one expected.

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Cars didn’t become commonplace until the early 1900’s. The railway was a new, exciting way to travel, replacing canoes, York boats and horse-drawn carts.

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Its easy to appreciate how a country as huge as Canada was completely revolutionized by trains. And fascinating to think how technology has grown since the birth of the railway.

This museum celebrates all of that with over 37,000 sq. ft. of space dedicated to an amazing story of evolution.

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Winnipeg's Railway Museum is the home of the first steam locomotive to cross the prairies, The Countess of Dufferin. And for now, its part of Winnipeg’s beautiful Union Station, designed by the same team who designed New York’s Grand Central Station.

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Ironically, the museum may have to be re-located, to make way for more progress in transportation, as Winnipeg’s new Rapid Transit System is built.