Brockville Railway Tunnel wins Tripadvisor award for 2nd year in a row

For the second year in a row, the Brockville Railway Tunnel has been recognized as one of Tripadvisor’s top listings, receiving another Travelers’ Choice Award.

According to Tripadvisor.com, the award “recognizes businesses that earn consistently great reviews. Travelers’ Choice award-winners are among the top 10 per cent of listings on Tripadvisor.”

Tripadvisor is one of the most popular travel websites in the world.

“It is huge news for us and we’re so excited,” Lyndsay Bigley, marketing officer at Brockville Tourism, said.

Bigley says what makes the award important is that it is from visitor reviews.

“So it’s people have actually gone through the tunnel, have ranked it and it really gives us the opportunity to reach more people on Tripadvisor. We’re ranked higher up,” she said.

“What’s so special about it is that it is free. So, when people come here, they go through the tunnel, check out the colours, check out the light show. But then, they actually explore our shops, restaurants and other attractions too.”

Priyanka Amin, who’s visiting from Toronto, says the place is different, citing the touch of history that has been added to it. 

“We really like the place … It has a charm, like old time charm,” Amin said.

“It is nice. Also, it kind of gives you a respite from the weather. And it is very interesting what they’ve done with the place. It’s just a tunnel, but what they have done with the place, that’s really nice.”

The city of Brockville turned the historic tunnel into a tourist attraction in 2017. It was the first railway tunnel in Canada, built in 1860.

Visitors can walk the entire 500 metre stretch which takes them underneath downtown Brockville. The tunnel has music and lights that illuminate the historic architecture.

The attraction is free for visitors to use and is open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day of the week.

Earlier this year, the tunnel experienced a delayed start to the season due to an issue with the lighting system.