Union  | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 Union station Yonge-bound platform | ||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | 55Front Street West, Toronto, Ontario Canada | |||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 43°38′44″N79°22′49″W / 43.64556°N 79.38028°W /43.64556; -79.38028 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | Side platforms | |||||||||||||||||||
| Connections |
    Railway station Bus terminal | |||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure type | Underground | |||||||||||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Official station page | |||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened |
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| Rebuilt | 2011–2015 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024[1] | 136,515 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | 3 of 70 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Union is a rapid transit station onLine 1 Yonge–University of theToronto subway inToronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1954 as one of twelve original stations on the first phase of what was then called the Yonge Subway, the firstrapid transit line in Canada. It was the southern terminus of the line until the opening of the University line in 1963, and today, is theinflection point of the U-shaped line. Along withSpadina station andQueens Quay station, it is one of three stations open overnight to supportlate-night streetcar routes.[2]
Union station is located onFront Street between theYonge Street andUniversity Avenue sections of the line. It is named for and directly connects tothe railway station andregional bus terminal of the same name, serving allGO Transittrain lines andtrain-bus services as well asVia Rail intercity routes (includingAmtrak'sMaple Leaf service to New York City). It connects to theUnion Pearson Express (UPX), adedicated rail link toToronto 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 toLake Ontario; however, using standard compass directions,Kipling andIslington stations are further south. It serves approximately 100,000 people a day, ranking it as the fourth-busiest station in the system, afterBloor–Yonge,St. George, andSheppard–Yonge, and the busiest served by only one line. Adjacent to the subway station is an undergroundterminal loop for the509 Harbourfront and510 Spadina streetcar.
In 2007, Union subway station became the first location on the TTC wherePresto cards could be used, as part of a trial. Wi-Fi service has been available at this station since 2014.[3]
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 theYonge–University line.
On June 22, 1990, Union became the terminus of route 604 Harbourfront LRT, now part of the509 Harbourfront and510 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.[4]
Elevators were installed in 1996, making Union one of the first wheelchair-accessible subway stations in Toronto.[5] 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.[4]
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.[6]
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 adjacentUnion Station and thePATH network.[7]
At a cost of $137 million, construction began in February 2011, with the new second platform opening on August 18, 2014.[4][8] The project was completed in 2015 with the completion of the station renovation.[9]
In 2019, as part of the rebuilding and expansion of the adjacentUnion 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.[10]
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 uniqueToronto 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 toUnivers.
The 2011 to 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.[4]
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 theOCAD University[11][12] 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".[13][14]
_-_Artwork_-_Zones_of_Immersion_-_2_women_on_a_train.JPG)
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The station lies on an east–west axis alongFront Street. It is one of three stations on Line 1 with an east–west orientation, the others beingSt. George andDownsview Park. Leaving the station eastbound, the Yonge leg of the line runs briefly under Front Street and turns 90 degrees north to run underYonge Street; leaving westbound, the University leg also runs under Front Street, and shortly after turns 90 degrees north to run underUniversity Avenue.
North side entrances:
South side entrances:
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Union Station Loop is located underground at the north end of a 500 m (1,600 ft) tunnel running underBay Street through the undergroundQueens Quay station from the streetQueens Quay. The loop runs anticlockwise on a single track along a curved platform. An underground passage connects the streetcar platform to the Yonge subway platform. Union Station Loop is the eastern terminus of the509 Harbourfront and southern terminus of the510 Spadina streetcar route.[15][16] The loop has a minimum radius of curvature of 14.5 m (48 ft).[17]
A 2017 TTC report stated that the streetcar loop would become inadequate for the volume of customers it handled because of its single track and its curved, narrow platform. The loop would not be able to handle the peak demand of 3700 people per hour projected for 2041. A 2010 environmental assessment for theEast 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 LRT design would have rebuilt the loop to have four platforms, each with a bypass track, so that a streetcar could bypass other streetcars loading or unloading. Expansion of the loop's capacity would be needed in order to support an East Bayfront LRT. In 2017, conversion of the tunnel under Bay Street to operate a funicular shuttle to Queens Quay station instead of streetcars was considered but ultimately rejected.[15]: 8–9 As of 2021[update], the conversion of the streetcar loop into a four-platform configuration is in the design stage.[18]
Nearby landmarks include the Union Station railway station, theRoyal York Hotel,Scotiabank Arena,CIBC Square,Rogers Centre, theMetro Toronto Convention Centre, theCN Tower,Royal Bank Plaza,Brookfield Place, theHockey Hall of Fame, and theMeridian Hall.
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 toExhibition Loop |
| 510 | Spadina | Northbound toSpadina station viaHarbourfront |
| 310 | SpadinaBlue 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Bay | Northbound to Dupont Street and southbound toQueens Quay and Sherbourne Street |
| 72B | Pape | Northbound toPape station via Queens Quay and Commissioners Street |
| 97C | Yonge | Northbound toEglinton station (Rush hour service) |
| 114 | Queens Quay East | Eastbound to Carlaw Avenue viaOokwemin Minising |
| 121 | Esplanade–River | Eastbound toBridgepoint Active Healthcare |
| 202 | Cherry Beach | Eastbound toCherry Beach (Seasonal service) |
| 320 | Yonge Blue Night | Northbound toSteeles Avenue East and southbound to Queens Quay |
This table shows the typical number of customer-boardings made on each subway line and the number of customers travelling to and from each station platform on a typical weekday in Sep 2023–Aug 2024.
Each of the 65 underground stations will have wireless and Wi-Fi service by 2017.
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.
Media related toUnion station (TTC) at Wikimedia Commons
