Union station (TTC)

Union is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1954 as one of twelve original stations on the first phase of the Yonge line, the first rapid transit line in Canada. It was the southern terminus of the line until the opening of the University line in 1963, and is today the inflection point of the U-shaped line. Along with Spadina station, it is one of two stations open overnight to support late-night streetcar routes.[2]

This article is about the subway station. For the adjacent railway station, see Union Station (Toronto).

Union
Union station Yonge-bound platform
Location55 Front Street West,
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Coordinates43°38′44″N 79°22′50″W
PlatformsSide platforms
Connections Railway station
Bus terminal
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Disabled accessYes
History
OpenedMarch 30, 1954 (1954-03-30)
Rebuilt2011–2015
Passengers
2018[1]143,640
Rank3 of 75
Services
Preceding station Toronto Transit Commission Following station
St. Andrew
towards Vaughan Metro Centre
 Yonge–University King
towards Finch
Queens Quay
towards Exhibition Loop
 509 Harbourfront Terminus
Queens Quay
towards Spadina
 510 Spadina

Union station is located on Front Street between the Yonge Street and University Avenue sections of the line. It is named for and directly connects to the railway station and regional bus terminal of the same name, serving all GO Transit train lines and train-bus services as well as Via Rail intercity routes (including Amtrak's Maple Leaf service to New York City). It connects to the Union Pearson Express (UPX), a dedicated rail link to Toronto Pearson International Airport. It is the only subway station with a direct connection to Via services.

Based on Toronto's street grid, Union is the southernmost subway station and the closest to Lake Ontario; however, using standard compass directions, Kipling and Islington stations are further south. It serves approximately 100,000 people a day, ranking it as the fourth-busiest station in the system, after Bloor–Yonge, St. George, and Sheppard–Yonge, and the busiest served by only one line. Adjacent to the subway station is an underground terminal loop for two streetcar routes, the 509 Harbourfront and 510 Spadina.

In 2007, Union subway station became the first location on the TTC where Presto cards could be used, as part of a trial. Wi-Fi service has been available at this station since 2014.[3]

Entrances

North side entrances:

South side entrances:

History
Station excavation circa 1949

The station opened as the southern terminus of the original Yonge subway line on March 30, 1954.

On February 28, 1963, Union became a through station with the opening of the University section of the Yonge–University line.

On June 22, 1990, Union became the terminus of route 604 Harbourfront LRT, now part of the 509 Harbourfront and 510 Spadina streetcar routes. A new underground streetcar platform was built south of the subway tracks, connected to the station concourse by a 30-metre pedestrian tunnel and a flight of stairs.[5]

Elevators were installed in 1996, making Union one of the first wheelchair-accessible subway stations in Toronto.[6] An elevator was added to the streetcar platforms, even though streetcars were not accessible themselves. By the time accessible streetcars began serving the station in 2014, the elevator had been replaced as a part of the station expansion.[5]

On August 18, 2014, a second subway platform was opened to serve Yonge line trains, leaving the existing platform to serve only University line trains.[7]

Flexity Outlook streetcars started to serve Union from route 510 Spadina on October 12, 2014,[8] and from route 509 Harbourfront on March 29, 2015.[9] As a result, passengers are now required to have Proof-of-payment (POP) to depart Union by streetcar.[10]

Station expansion

In 2003, planning began on a station expansion to address overcrowding in the station. Despite being one of the busiest stations in the system, the station had only one narrow island platform serving both the University and Yonge lines, and a small concourse area.

The plan was to build a new subway platform on the south side of the tracks to serve the Yonge portion of the line, leaving the existing island platform to serve only the University portion. This new platform would feature a step-free connection to the streetcar platform. The project also included an expansion of the concourse level, the replacement of all finishes and signage, installation of public art, as well as improved connections to the adjacent Union Station and the PATH network.[11]

At a cost of $137  million, construction began in February 2011, with the new second platform opening on August 18, 2014.[5][12] The project was completed in 2015 with the completion of the station renovation.[13]

In 2019, as part of the rebuilding and expansion of the adjacent Union Station, large glass canopies were installed in the "moat" that connects the subway station to the rest of the Union station complex. This weather-protected route connecting to the main concourses at Union Station ensures that commuters do not need to go outside when entering or leaving the TTC station.[4]

Station decor

When the station opened in 1954, the wall coverings were glossy yellow Vitrolite tiles with red lettering and trim, and the station name on the walls was in the TTC's unique Toronto Subway Font. During renovations in the 1980s, the yellow Vitrolite tiles were replaced with brown ceramic tiles and vinyl siding, and the station font was changed to Univers.

The 2011–2015 station expansion replaced these tiles and panels with white tiles and black trim, and the font used to render the station name was returned to its original Toronto Subway typeface.[5]

As part of the second platform project, a glass wall was built to block off the southern side of the old platform, since it now only serves the University line. It features the art piece "Zones of Immersion" by Stuart Reid, a professor at the OCAD University[14][15] The work comprises 166 large glass panels, each measuring more than one by two metres, extending 170-metre (560 ft) along the length of the platform. Mostly transparent, it is visible from both the Yonge and University platforms. Each panel contains images or words, many based on sketches that Reid drew while riding the subway. Public reaction towards the art piece has been mixed, with some users of the station finding it "tragic" or "dark and depressing".[16][17]

Station platform in 2009 with white and brown ceramic wall tiles from the 1980s
Panel from Zones of Immersion by Stuart Reid opposite the new platform after the 2015 station expansion

Subway infrastructure in the vicinity
Interlocking signal at east end of University line platform

The station lies on an east–west axis along Front Street. It is one of three stations on Line 1 with an east–west orientation, the others being St. George and Downsview Park. Leaving the station eastbound, the Yonge leg of the line runs briefly under Front Street and turns 90 degrees north to run under Yonge Street; leaving westbound, the University leg also runs under Front Street, and shortly after turns 90 degrees north to run under University Avenue.

This station is one of only three that have a slightly curved platform (the other two being St. Clair and Museum stations). The station is also noted as being one of only three where a signal is publicly accessible (the others being Davisville and Islington stations). The signal is located on the east (trailing) end of the University line platform. It is an interlocking signal that protects the crossover to the northbound Yonge Line and is only occasionally used to reverse Yonge Line trains at Union.[5]

Streetcar loop

Union Station Loop was opened for streetcar service in 1990. It is located at the north end of a tunnel under Bay Street from the underground Queens Quay station at the street named Queens Quay. The tunnel is over 500 metres long. Union Station Loop is currently inadequate for the volume of customers it currently handles because of its single track and its curved, narrow platform. The present loop will not be able to handle the peak demand of 3700 people per hour projected for 2041.[18]

A 2010 Environmental Assessment (EA) for the East Bayfront LRT (a proposed streetcar line) approved rebuilding the existing streetcar loop plus the construction of a connection from the streetcar tunnel to the East Bayfront LRT on Queens Quay East. The EA design would rebuild the loop to have four platforms, each with a bypass track, so that a streetcar could bypass other streetcars loading or unloading. Design work was 30% complete, but the project was never funded. Expansion of the loop's capacity is needed in order to support an East Bayfront LRT.[18]

As of 2017, two options are being considered to increase capacity:[18]

  • Rebuilding the loop as per the 2010 EA, or
  • Replace streetcar service at Union station with a funicular in the tunnel to Queens Quay station, where passengers transfer to streetcar service.

Nearby landmarks

Nearby landmarks include the Union Station railway station, the Royal York Hotel, Scotiabank Arena, Rogers Centre, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the CN Tower, Royal Bank Plaza, Brookfield Place, the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.

Surface connections
Main article: List of Toronto Transit Commission bus routes

A direct connection between the subway and streetcars within the fare-paid zone is provided for these routes:

Route Name Additional Information
509 Harbourfront Westbound to Exhibition Loop
510 Spadina Northbound to Spadina station via Harbourfront
310 Spadina Blue Night Northbound to Spadina station via Harbourfront

Access to these routes is also available while the subway is not running, as the station is open overnight.

A transfer is required to connect between the subway or streetcars and these bus routes at curbside stops:

Route Name Additional Information
6 Bay Northbound to Dupont Street and southbound to Queens Quay and Sherbourne Street
72B Pape Northbound to Pape station via Queens Quay and Commissioners Street
97B Yonge Northbound to York Mills station and southbound to Queens Quay
121A Fort York–Esplanade Eastbound to Distillery and westbound to Exhibition (Princes' Gates Loop)
121D Eastbound to Cherry Beach Loop via Distillery and westbound to Ontario Place
(Seasonal service)
320 Yonge Blue Night Northbound to Steeles Avenue East and southbound to Queens Quay

References
  1. "Subway ridership, 2018" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved February 5, 2019. This table shows the typical number of customer-trips made on each subway on an average weekday and the typical number of customers travelling to and from each station platform on an average weekday.
  2. "Route 510 - The Spadina Streetcar - Transit Toronto - Content". transittoronto.ca. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  3. "Wi-fi Now Available At". TCONNECT. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2015. Each of the 65 underground stations will have wireless and Wi-Fi service by 2017.
  4. "New Union Station glass 'moat' opens as transit hub shifts construction to lower level". Toronto Star. July 7, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  5. James Bow. "Union". Transit Toronto. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  6. "Milestones". Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  7. Robert Mackenzie. "TTC opening second subway platform at Union Station, August 18". Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  8. Munro, Steve (October 12, 2014). "Streetcars Return to Queens Quay". Steve Munro. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  9. Steve Munro (February 6, 2015). "TTC Service Changes Effective March 29, 2015". Steve Munro. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  10. "Proof-of-Payment (POP)". Fares & Passes. Toronto Transit Commission. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  11. "TTC marks milestone of revitalized Union Station". Toronto Transit Commission. July 2, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  12. "TTC opening second subway platform
    at Union Station, August 18 - Transit Toronto - Weblog"    .
  13. "TTC celebrates its completion of Union Station subway renovation". CTV News. July 2, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  14. Nick Westoll (August 17, 2014). "TTC opens Union Subway Station second platform". Retrieved August 18, 2014. The TTC will also be installing a 500-foot glass art wall to block off the southern side of the University line platform. Stuart Reid won an international public art competition for his piece, "Zones of Immersion," in 2012.
  15. Christopher Hume (March 31, 2015). "Union Station artwork an exercise in artistic transparency". The Toronto Star. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  16. Gupta, Rahul (July 3, 2015). "'Bloody gorgeous' art unveiling wraps up Union Station platform renovations". Toronto.com. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  17. "Is the new public art at Union Station depressing?". Toronto Star. May 7, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  18. "Waterfront Transit Update" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
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