Omemee, Ont. and "the Old Road"
Omemee first came to be served by a railway in late 1857, when the construction of the Port Hope, Lindsay & Beaverton Railway (as of 1870 the Midland Railway of Canada), worked its way north from Bethany along what is now Ski Hill Road, or Regional Road 38. It crossed King Street West, and then curved west along Deane Street North over to what is now Sibley Avenue North, on its way to Lindsay.
The Port Hope, Lindsay & Beaverton Railway had also built a branch from Millbrook to Peterborough in 1858. At that time there was no direct railway connection between Peterborough and Lindsay, travelers having to go via Millbrook Jct. For a more direct route between Peterborough, Lindsay and Toronto, construction of the "Missing Link" from Peterborough to meet "the Old Road" (the original direct line between Millbrook and Omemee) at Sibley Ave(Omemee West) was begun in 1882. This junction was effected in 1883 just east of Sibley Ave., and the 1875 station was then abandoned. Traces of this junction are still visible today. The first train passed over the new line on November 23, 1883. A new two-storey station and freight house were constructed in 1888 between the diverging tracks east of Sibley Ave.
(Note: The other hindrance to a direct route between Peterborough and Toronto [then via Lorneville] was eliminated by a connection between Manilla on the original Whitby, Port Perry & Lindsay Ry. and Blackwater [Wick Jct.] on the former Toronto & Nipissing Ry. This was completed a year or so previously, and opened for traffic in early 1883.)
The Midland Ry. was formally leased to the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada (GTR) as of January 1, 1884, and was amalgamated into the GTR as of April 1, 1893. The GTR was in turn amalgamated into the new Canadian National Railways (CNR) on January 30, 1923.