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| Union Station Subway (TTC) |
Union Station is on the Yonge University Spadina line of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The station opened in 1954 and today serves well over 100,000 a day. Union station ranks 5th out of 69 subway stations as far as traffic goes, but that is not including the entire building which is separated by a moat that brings you to the other segment of Union which saw its first passenger train departure in 1853. I would have liked to know where that train went to. If any anyone has better luck in researching this, feel free to drop me a line in the comment block.
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| Street CARS |
75 years later, Edward, Prince of Wales opened Union Station in 1927 with a gold key that unlocked the doors. He was sold the first ticket from Toronto to Alberta at a cost of $70 (today’s cost would be over $1000.00). Shortly after that Union station was in full swing sending and receiving passengers. A few more years ahead of that and in 1929 the Royal York hotel was built (and still stands). A tunnel was bored under the hotel linking it to Union station. Actually the first of its kind and the new CN tracks were laid between Hamilton and Pickering. GO transit followed a couple years later with its first time to leave Oakville east bound to Toronto.
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| Union Station-Go Station |
Today the Great Hall in Union Station sees arrivals and departures used by Via Rail, Amtrak and Ontario Northland for inter-city train passengers. There is a concourse for GO Transit commuter train passengers, as well as access to the TTC subway and streetcar station. The tunnel I spoke about underground linking Royal York Hotel has been extended to other buildings in the central business district. Union Station also features office space used by the TTR, GO Transit and CN and CP.
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| Great Hall - Union Station |
“Transit City” (currently on hold) has plans to further extend Streetcar loops from Union along the Waterfront hoping to unclog congestion along the lakeshore.
