417, rue Berri

The Dalhousie Station is the oldest surviving railway station in Montreal.  It is at this station that the first train to Vancouver originated in 1886.  Built in 1884, it is located in close proximity to the Viger Station.  Not by mistake. In fact, the progress and needs for transport exceeded Dalhousie’s capacity.  A bigger station was obviously the solution to sustain the demand and Viger Station was constructed.

While the flow of passengers was directed to Viger Station in 1898 and part of the departures had already been transferred to Windsor Station for its accessibility, the station was not closed.  Even without passengers, the track remained in activity in the 1960s after Viger was closed. The Dalhousie Station served for freight and until 1984 for warehousing.  The close proximity to the port had its advantages when managing merchandise and import/export.

In 2004, the square received some attention and restoration that confirmed the historical location of the train station. Beautiful lighted tracks confirms the presence of the rail industry in this specific area.

Today the building welcomes the Cirque Eloise (Circus).

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