40 years of Port Stanley Terminal Rail

It is billed as “Count Elgin’s longest-running tourist attraction”.

Port Stanley Terminal Rail (PSTR) is celebrating a historic anniversary.

“This is PSTR’s 40th year of operation and quite an accomplishment for a group of volunteers,” said Dan Vernackt, PSTR President for over 20 years.

“My grandfather worked for the railway for 42 years, so railways are in the blood. I’m glad I’m doing it and I’m glad to see all the smiles on the faces of the people who ride the train.”

The one-hour round trip from Port Stanley south of St. Thomas takes place on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

Port Stanley Terminal Rail departs from Port Stanley, Ont. on a one-hour scenic tour on July 3, 2024 (Brent Lale/CTV London)

“We wanted to go to the beach and we saw people on the trains so we thought we’d come along,” said John Croft, who was visiting with his granddaughter Lainey and wife Sophia from London. “We’ve been planning this for a while and Lainey saw it coming over the bridge.”

Others like Daniel Byrne and John Schwartz of Ingersoll, Ont. were visiting Port Stanley. “We wanted to take a day trip and try something new, so we decided to go by train,” Byrne said.

A lot has changed in the 40 years in business, but one of the most recent changes has been the most successful.

They switched to an online booking system after the pandemic, and ticket sales have increased every year since.

“When the guys started it in the early 1980s, Port Stanley was at the bottom end of the scale,” Vernackt said. “They were looking for a new life and this was really the first one in Ontario to be granted a provincial license since 1936. The government didn’t really know what to do with us and we were mixed up a bit by the MTO, but here. we are over 40 years later and still going.”

Volunteer conductor Mark Askew said to dedicate your time to something like this, you have to “love trains”.

“I think we’re seeing the expression of young people who have never ridden a train,” Askew said.

“We had Kettle Creek Public School on board last week. We have the high school and Parkside on board. We just share the history and a lot of people as close as we are to London… have never been on a train before. and they didn’t even know it existed. They are shocked.”