For nearly a century, Agincourt GO Station has been sewn into the fabric of the Preston family’s history.

Cheryl Preston, like her father, was born and raised in the Scarborough community.

“As a child in the 1920s, my dad and his younger brother would venture over to the train station to visit with the ‘station master’, whose name was Newt Joynt,” said Cheryl, whose father, Howard Preston, turns 100 years old in November.

Like residents of the area, the local train station has a long and colourful history.

According to the Toronto Railway Historical Association, the first railway station in Agincourt was built in 1871 – a simple single storey wooden structure – put up not long before the community was founded.

A second station was built just east of the crossroads in 1884 by the Ontario and Quebec Railway, which later amalgamated with the Canadian Pacific Railway. This two-storey version featured a waiting room, a freight room and a station master’s office on the first floor with a station master’s living quarters on the second floor.

The station would eventually be demolished and never rebuilt.

The location of the first station would also eventually become home to the current iteration when Agincourt GO Station was added to the already well-established Stouffville line in 1982.

The original stations didn’t just help build the local economy, they also became part of the community’s identity – especially when the tracks are almost in your backyard, like they are for the Preston family.

“When dad was a child, the trains were coal-fired, and his mother wouldn’t be pleased if a train went by after she hung out her laundry,” Cheryl said.

She noted that her sister, Susan, who passed away a few years ago, was among those who used Agincourt GO when it first opened. It was within walking distance of the family home and she would often head down to Union Station.

“I remember she would look forward to sitting with other members of our Agincourt community and get caught up on local news during the commute,” Cheryl recalled.

Over the years, the old brick station has served countless customers and served as a hub for the community. From decorating windows as part of the Adopt-a-Station program to celebrating Christmas and Halloween to even community clean-ups, the facility is more than just a charming stop – it has brought people together.

Preston said the design of the old Agincourt GO Station fit in well with the area, considering there are many surrounding historic houses. She’s a bit sad to see the old brick station go, but is looking forward to seeing how the new one will benefit commuters and the community.

“For many years, we have witnessed many commuters waiting for trains in all kinds of weather and so I think it will be nice for them to have shelter and all the conveniences that the new station will offer,” she said.

The new Agincourt GO will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified with a new passenger pick-up and drop-off area, a new second track and platform as well as integrated shelters on the platforms to protect from the elements.

“Having personally grown up and lived in the Scarborough community my whole life it is particularly rewarding as I will be able to witness the benefits for years to come,” said Sean McCreight, Project Manager for the GO Expansion Early Works Program.

He and his team are excited to help write this new chapter in Agincourt’s railway history, one that will benefit generations to come.

The new features will better accommodate the additional customers Metrolinx anticipates in the future as the transit agency prepares for 15-minute, two-way, all-day service between Unionville and Union Station.

And for the Preston family, it’ll be a place where new travels and memories will begin.