Experience Waterloo Central Railway
St. Jacobs MARKET – VILLAGE of St. Jacobs – ELMIRAThe Waterloo Central Railway runs a recreational passenger train just outside of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, on a historic railway branch between the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market, the Village of St. Jacobs, and the town of Elmira.
Enjoy the journey on our regularly-scheduled Market-Day Diesel Trains. Travel through time on our specially-scheduled Steam Locomotive Trains and Theme Trains. Shop at the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market, visit the Village of St. Jacobs and our Railway Museum, travel to Elmira and take a tractor ride from the train into the downtown. Charter our Caboose or the entire train and Railway Museum for memorable private events such as birthdays and weddings!
Where
St. Jacobs MARKET – St. Jacobs VILLAGE – ELMIRA
The Waterloo Central Railway runs on a historic railway branch between the St. Jacobs Farmers’ MARKET, the VILLAGE of St. Jacobs, and ELMIRA, Ontario, Canada.
When
MARKET SEASON: The Waterloo Central Railway Market-Day Train runs seasonally on—Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays—leaving the market at 10:00am, 12:00pm and 2:00pm. Sundays—leaving the market at 1:00pm.
There are no Thursday trains after Labour Day. We are now offering a train on Sundays at 1PM.
YEAR-ROUND: Our Special Event Trains and Private Charter Trains run at various days and times throughout the year. For a current listing of dates and times please click to get tickets.
Train Stations
3 Stops to Board and Depart
1. St. Jacobs Farmers' MARKET Train Station
878 Weber Street North
Woolwich, Ontario, N2J 4G8
GPS: 43.512074, -80.552603
- At the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market.
- The Farmers’ Market Road entrance to the market property trackside.
- Special experiences like the Crazy Caboose Parties and Train Engineer Experience board and depart here.
Free Parking: In Market lot next to the station.
Purchase Tickets: This station accepts credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Visa Debit) or cash.
2. St. Jacobs VILLAGE Railway Museum & Train Restoration Shop
50 Isabella Street
St. Jacobs, Ontario, N0B 2N0
GPS: 43.538140, -80.556965
- Railway Museum.
- Train Restoration Shop.
- Wheelchair accessible public washrooms.
- Pre-booked Photoshoot participants with their own photographer.
Free Parking: In the municipal lot and on selected side streets.
Purchase Tickets: This station accepts credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Visa Debit) or cash.
3. ELMIRA Scout House Station
75 Oriole Parkway East
Elmira, Ontario, N3B 3J7
GPS: 43.587210, -80.550745
- Please wait behind the gate for the train to arrive.
- If there are no passengers trackside, the train does not wait, so please be prompt.
- The Scout House Station is approximately 1.5km or about a 15 minute walk to Downtown Elmira.
Free Parking: on the road shoulder.
Purchase Tickets: Upon boarding; accepts credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Visa Debit) or cash.
Train Ride Options
3 Kinds of Train Experiences
1. Regularly Scheduled Market-Day Train Rides
The Market-Day Train runs seasonally on market days between the St. Jacobs MARKET – St. Jacobs VILLAGE – ELMIRA.
2016 Season: Sat. May 7, 2016 – Sun. October 30, 2016
On St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market days:
Saturdays: May 7 – October 29, 2016
Sundays: September 25-October 30, 2016
Tuesdays: June 14 – August 30, 2016
Thursdays: May 19 – September 15, 2016
Departs St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market: 10:00am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm. Sundays only at 1:00pm.
2. Specially Scheduled Event & Theme Train Rides
Our specially scheduled adventure diesel train and steam train rides include Special Event Rides with live entertainment, drama and excitement as well as themes such as our Great Train Robbery Trains, Twister Tuesdays, Pumpkin Patch Rides, Halloween DressUp Rides, Santa Trains and Easter Bunny Trains. Don’t miss these exceptional events!
3. Private Charter Train & Museum Rentals
Looking for a unique venue for your next big event? Our rolling train venues and stationary museum venues offer the perfect backdrop for events of all kinds, including birthday parties, fundraisers, corporate events, anniversaries, graduations, proms, weddings etc.! Browse our Charter Packages.
Market-Day Train Fares
| MARKET-DAY TRAIN TICKETS | Price |
|---|---|
| Family Pass: Family of 4 | $54.99 |
| All Ages Pass: Valid for 1 Person | $15.99 |
| Children, under 2 years: No ticket required. | FREE |
| Box Lunch: | $13.99 |
| School Field Trip: Per Passenger | $15.99 |
| Train Engineer Pass: Drive the train! | $99.99 |
| Crazy Caboose Party Rental: The whole caboose! | $349.99 |
| Crazy Caboose Live Entertainment: | $249.99 |
Fare Details
- Prices listed here are for our Market-Day Train tickets. For Special Event Train and Private Charter Train pricing, please see their respective pages.
- Purchase Tickets - 3 options: 1. Online on our Ticketing Portal—click on Buy Tickets. 2. In person on market days at the St. Jacobs Market Train Station. 3. Upon boarding at the Market, Village or Elmira stops (when seats are still available).
- All Prices, by cash or credit card, are plus HST and Service Fees.
- All tickets include the return trip.
- Hop-On-Off: at any of the 3 stations from the 10:00am and 12:00pm Market-Day trains only.
- Children under 2 years ride free, no ticket required; however, when space is limited, please seat them on your lap.
- (Equipment and schedule subject to change without notice.)
Special Events 2016 At a Glance
For more details about each event, see the event News below.
Spring
Easter Bunny Trains
March 26
Maple Syrup Festival Trains
April 2
Mother's Day Train
May 7
Victoria Day-Steam Train
May 23
Father's Day Train
June 18
Summer
Canada Day-Steam Train
July 1
Twister Tuesdays
July 19
August 9, 16, 23, 30
Civic Holiday-Steam Train
August 1
Great Train Robbery
August 11, 18, 25
September 1
Autumn
Labour Day-Steam Train
September 5
Grandparents' Day Rides
September 10
Mennonite Farm Tours
September 15, 24
October 1, 8
Festival of Colours
October 2
Pumpkin Patch Rides
October 9, 16
Thanksgiving-Steam Train
October 10
Family Fun Market Train
October 23
Halloween Dress-Up Rides
October 29, 30
Winter
Santa Trains
November 26, 27
December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18
News & Updates
What’s happening at Waterloo Central Railway?
Family Fun Market Train
Family Fun Ride When: October 23 Departure: 1:00pm Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes Leaving From: St. Jacob’s Market Station Take this opportunity to gather relatives and enjoy a fun train ride in heritage style. Kids and adults of any age will truly...
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Festival of Colours Ride
Festival of Colours Market Train When: October 2 Departure: 1:00pm Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes Leaving From: St. Jacob’s Market Station Take this opportunity to view and photograph beautiful fall colours in the Waterloo Region countryside while...
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Heritage Steam Train Ride, Thanksgiving Day – Mon. Oct 10, 2016
Don’t miss this historic return-trip through the countryside with many great photo and video opportunities.
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Mennonite Farm Tours on Market Trains
Mennonite Farm Tours on Market Trains When: September 15 and 24 October 1 and 8 Departure: 10:00am Market Day Train Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes Train Ride + 2 hour Mennonite Farm Tour Leaving From: St. Jacob’s Market Station Route: Round-trip from...
read moreDon't Miss the Adventure!
To ensure there's a seat for you, purchase tickets in advance on our online Ticketing Portal!