Port Stanley Terminal Rail says tickets sales are down this year after a delayed start to the season caused by major repairs a train bridge. The volunteer-run organization is trying to get the word out to tourists and day-trippers that it’s open for business, with trains rolling smoothly down the track. “Oh, it’s lovely. It’s a little scary going over some of those bridges. But no, it’s beautiful, and there’s no other way to see it unless you’re on the train,” said passenger Beverly Quinn. The Bayfield senior took the afternoon trip from the Port Stanley terminal to Whyte’s Park in Central Elgin and back. “It looked really cool, and I’ve never been on a train before,” said passenger, 11-year-old Cameron Jordan of Mount Forest, who was traveling with his grandparents. “My husband thought it would be really good for our grandson. And I think he’s right,” said Cameron’s Nana, Nancy Cunningham, also from Mount Forest. The slow, weekday afternoon leisure trip is one of several trips per week where passengers take a scenic ride along the historic rail line, taking in the Elgin countryside along the way. There are several other ticketed options, including onboard entertainment featuring live music or dinner-theatre. “You gotta like people, you gotta like trains, sharing the history,” said volunteer conductor Mark Askew. “I get a lot of nods. A lot of seniors ride the train, that years ago rode the train as kids when it was electrified, back in the early days,” he explained. Askew says the popular tourist train lost momentum earlier this year when the bridge was down for major repairs. The Christmas and Easter trains were stopped in their tracks. But after a $500,000 repair, the rail line was back up and running this past May. Askew says ticket sales are down from 17,000 trips in 2025. “Oh, we’re under. Under on the count. Basically, we started off late. We’re going to catch up, we’re hoping, with the additional trips,” he said. The rail line is 169 years old, and for the past 44 years it has been operated entirely by volunteers – anyone with an interest in preserving the rolling history and showing people what this corner of southwestern Ontario has to offer. Among the volunteers, is longtime engineer, Bob Wood, who operated the train on this trip. “They said railways were a thing of the past, so I believed them. And it turns out railways are not a thing of the past. And it’s nice to be able to give people some joy running something that’s been here for this length of time,” Wood said from inside the engine car. After about 90 minutes or so, the train rolls back into the station. The end of the line. Passengers disembark after a family adventure spent riding the rails on a sunny summer day. “What a great way to spend an Ontario afternoon. On a train, a slow train,” said passenger Jodi Schmidt of Kitchener. “You get to see parts of your country that you don’t ever get to see,” added her sister, Kelly Walter, of Milverton. Port Stanley Terminal Rail runs trains on Saturdays and Sundays, Wednesdays, and holidays through the summer, before switching to its fall schedule. “It’s been run as a volunteer railway, supported only by the ridership that keeps it going,” said Askew, as he said goodbye to passengers, and tipped his conductor hat to another enjoyable trip along the rail line.
