Eglinton station
Eglinton  | |||||||||||||
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| Location | 2190 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario Canada | ||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 43°42′21″N 79°23′54″W / 43.70583°N 79.39833°W | ||||||||||||
| Platforms | Centre platform | ||||||||||||
| Tracks |
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| Structure type | Underground | ||||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes[1] | ||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||
| Website | Official station page | ||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||
| Opened | March 30, 1954 (Line 1) | ||||||||||||
| Opening | 2024 (Line 5)[2] | ||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | May 2023 (Line 1) | ||||||||||||
| Passengers | |||||||||||||
| 2023–2024[3] | 60,814 | ||||||||||||
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Eglinton is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway. Located on Eglinton Avenue, it is central to the Yonge–Eglinton neighbourhood in Midtown Toronto. Eglinton station is the seventh busiest station of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).[4]
Line 5 Eglinton will serve Eglinton station upon completion of the line, which is scheduled for 2024.[2] Eglinton will then become an interchange station for the two lines.[5]
Description
[edit]Line 1 station
[edit]The current station is on three levels, with entrances scattered throughout the street level in the surrounding area of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue. The concourse, fare gates and bus terminal as well as several shops are on the second level, and the Line 1 platform is on the lower level.[1]
Eglinton station is the only one of the original 1954 subway stations (Eglinton to Union on Line 1) to retain its original vitreous marble wall tiles. The other 1954 subway stations used similar wall tiles with variations in colour schemes, but at the other stations, the tiles were replaced because of deterioration.[6]
The Line 1 tracks approach the station from the south in an open cut before going underground at the Berwick Portal immediately before the station. Here the tracks divide sharply to go either side of the island platform. There is a crossover at this location, from when the station was the terminus of the line to reverse trains. North of the station, the line swings to the east, to run directly under Yonge Street in a bored tunnel.
Line 5 station
[edit]The Line 5 station structure (under construction) will cross the structure for Line 1 and have 5 levels:[7]
- The street level, with an entrance near the southwest corner of Eglinton Avenue and Yonge Street
- The concourse level of the existing station
- The LRT upper concourse level, which will be slightly lower than the Line 1 platform level, and be split into east and west sections by the Line 1 tracks and platform
- The LRT lower concourse level, which will run under the Line 1 tracks and platform
- The LRT platform level, which will be the deepest level of the station complex upon completion of Line 5
There is a double crossover on the east side of the Line 5 station to reverse trains.[8]
Bus terminal
[edit]The Eglinton station bus terminal is located at the south side of the station. The terminal's platforms and bus loop lie mostly within the building of a former bus garage. There is a station entrance and waiting room at the northeast corner of the bus terminal. From this entrance, passengers can descend to the Line 1 platform, and from the waiting room passengers can walk along a passageway connecting the bus terminal to the main concourse above the Line 1 platforms. Platforms on the south side of the terminal serve eastbound bus routes while those on the northside serve westbound routes. Buses can enter the terminal from either Berwick Avenue or Duplex Avenue.[9]
Entrances
[edit]
There are six entrances to the station in the surrounding area:[1]
Current
[edit]- An entrance at the southwest corner of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue (Canada Square)
- An accessible, automatic entrance at Yonge Street, north of Berwick Avenue, which leads directly to the bus platform level
Temporarily closed
[edit]The following entrances were temporarily closed to accommodate Line 5 construction at Eglinton station:[10]
- An entrance at the southeast corner of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue, at the CIBC
- An entrance on the northwest corner of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue
- An entrance at 2300 Yonge Street via the food court level of Yonge Eglinton Centre
- An entrance at the northeast corner of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue, at the TD Bank
Public art
[edit]As part of a program to install artworks at six of the stations along Line 5 Eglinton, Eglinton station will feature an artwork titled Light from Within by artists Rodney LaTourelle and Louise Witthoeft. The artwork will be installed above the escalators leading down to the Line 5 platform. The 13-ton panel will be made of mirrored glass tiles and is inspired by minerals, crystals and gemstones evoking the "subterranean nature of rapid transit", according to the artists.[11]
Line 5 construction
[edit]
Twenty-four weekend closures of Line 1 Yonge–University at Eglinton station were scheduled for 2018 alone for construction activities related to Line 5 Eglinton. The first closure was scheduled for February 10 and 11, 2018.[4]
Structures to be constructed at Eglinton station as part of the Line 5 project are:
- Main entrance to Line 5 to be located just west of the existing, to-be-retained station entrance at the southwest corner of Eglinton Avenue and Yonge Street.[12][7][13]
- Replacement entrances at the northwest, northeast and southeast corners of the intersection of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue connecting to underground concourses.[13]
- LRT platforms with rails laid 22 metres below ground.[4]
- Separate Line 5 concourse at a lower level than the Line 1 platform.[13]
- Northward extension of the existing Line 1 platform providing room for escalator/elevator access down to the Line 5 concourse level.[13]
- Emergency exit and ventilation shaft at 7 Eglinton Avenue East in a four-story structure to also be used as a Salvation Army church.[14]
- Facility services building to be located over the Line 1 portal at Berwick Avenue, which will house a ventilation capable of emergency smoke extraction.[15]
In November 2013, the TTC originally proposed to shift the current Line 1 platform approximately 70 metres (230 ft) northward of its current location. Such a change would have allowed smoother flows of passenger traffic between the platforms for Lines 1 and 5, and avoided a situation where all transferring passengers are bottlenecked by only one transfer path, similar to the busy Bloor–Yonge station. The pocket track at the north end of the station would have had to be abandoned.[16] However, this proposal was modified by March 2018 to shift the Line 1 platform north by only 24 metres (79 ft), allowing the pocket track to be retained. In the new area there will be an elevator and escalators down to the Line 5 concourse. At the south end of the platform, the elevator and stairs to the south station entrance would be retained but the platform edge would be walled off in this area.[13][17] The northern platform extension opened on May 14, 2023.[18]
History
[edit]Eglinton station opened in 1954 as the northern terminus of the original Yonge subway line, today a part of Line 1 Yonge–University. In 1954, the Yonge subway ran from Eglinton station to Union station, and replaced the Yonge streetcar line. Eglinton station sits on the site of the former Eglinton Carhouse, a streetcar facility opened in 1922, partly closed in 1951 to construct the subway line, and fully closed in 1954.[19]
When opened in 1954, Eglinton station had a different bus terminal from what exists today. Eglinton's first bus terminal was located at the south side of Eglinton Avenue, just north of the current bus terminal. It initially had nine parallel bays within the fare-paid zone, each with a covered platform and staircases leading down to an east–west, underground concourse. There was also a platform 10 outside the fare-paid zone. In 1963, platforms 11–13 were added on the west side of platform 10 to handle increasing suburban traffic. The bus terminal had its own street entrance facing Eglinton Avenue at the north end of platform 10, about 50 metres east of Duplex Avenue.[9]
With its opening in 1954, Eglinton station hosted trolley bus service serving neighbourhoods north of Eglinton Avenue. One bay was for 97 Yonge trolley buses to Glen Echo Loop, and two bays were for 61 Nortown trolley buses with separate bays for eastbound and westbound trips. The Nortown route was U-shaped serving Mount Pleasant Road east of the station, and Avenue Road to the west. The Eglinton garage, at the site of today's Eglinton station bus terminal, serviced trolley buses as well as diesel buses.[9]
In 1973, Line 1 was extended to York Mills station and Eglinton station ceased to be a terminal station. Along with the extension, a pocket track was installed on the north side of the station to reverse some Line 1 trains.[9] Also with the extension, Glen Echo Loop was closed and the Yonge trolley bus route was converted to diesel. This left Nortown as the only trolley bus route serving Eglinton station.[20]
In 1991, the Nortown trolley bus route was converted to diesel, ending trolley bus service at Eglinton station.[21]
In 2004, the original bus terminal from 1954 was closed because of safety concerns over its aging infrastructure.[12] A replacement bus terminal was opened in the former bus garage just south of the old bus terminal.[9]
In 2004, this station became accessible with the addition of elevators, and also with the closure of the old bus terminal which had required passengers to use stairs to reach the buses.[9]
In 2016, the original bus terminal from 1954 was demolished to make way for construction of Line 5.[12]
On November 17, 2016, Eglinton became the last station on Line 1 to be Presto enabled.[22]
In October 2021, automatic train control (ATC) was extended to Eglinton station.[23] On May 14, 2023, the northern platform extension on Line 1 opened. ATC had been adjusted the previous day so that trains stopped 24 metres (79 ft) further north. The southern 24 metres of the platform was closed off for passenger boarding and disembarking.[18]
Nearby landmarks
[edit]There are several high-rise buildings at or near the corner of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue. Built directly over the station is the Canada Square Complex, which is home to TVOntario studios and the head offices of Canadian Tire. Yonge Eglinton Centre is at the northwest corner of Yonge and Eglinton. Further south is the residential Minto Midtown. Another nearby destination is Eglinton Park, west of Eglinton station.
Surface connections
[edit]TTC routes serving the station include:
| Route | Name | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| 13A | Avenue Rd | Southbound to Queen's Park |
| 13B | Southbound to Gerrard Street (Weekday midday service) | |
| 32A | Eglinton West | Westbound to Renforth station |
| 32C | Westbound to Lawrence Avenue West at Jane Street via Trethewey Drive | |
| 34A | Eglinton East | Eastbound to Kennedy station |
| 34C | Eastbound to Flemingdon Park (Grenoble Drive & Spanbridge Road) | |
| 51 | Leslie | Northbound to Steeles Avenue via Leslie station |
| 52A | Lawrence West | Westbound to Pearson Airport via Dixon Road |
| 52B | Westbound to Westwood Mall Bus Terminal via Dixon Road | |
| 52D | Westbound to McNaughton via Dixon Road | |
| 54A | Lawrence East | Eastbound to Starspray Boulevard |
| 54B | Eastbound to Morningside Avenue | |
| 56A | Leaside | Southbound to Donlands station |
| 61 | Avenue Rd North | Northbound to Highway 401 |
| 97A | Yonge | Northbound to Steeles Avenue and southbound to St. Clair station (Northbound and southbound routes use stops on either side of Yonge Street and vehicles do not enter the station) |
| 97B | Northbound to Steeles Avenue via Yonge Boulevard and southbound to St. Clair station via Yonge Boulevard (Northbound and southbound routes use stops on either side of Yonge Street and vehicles do not enter the station) | |
| 97C | Southbound to Union station (Rush hour service) | |
| 952 | Lawrence West Express | Westbound to Pearson Airport (Rush hour service) |
| 320 | Yonge | Blue Night service; northbound to Steeles Avenue and southbound to Queens Quay (Northbound and southbound routes use stops on either side of Yonge Street and vehicles do not enter the station) |
| 332 | Eglinton West | Blue Night service; westbound to Pearson Airport |
| 334 | Eglinton East | Blue Night service; eastbound to Finch Avenue and Neilson Road via Kingston Road and Morningside Avenue |
| 354 | Lawrence East | Blue Night service; eastbound to Starspray Boulevard |
After Line 5 opening
[edit]After the opening of Line 5 Eglinton, the above connections will be replaced by the following connections (proposed as of November 2023[update]):[24]
| Route | Name | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| 13A | Avenue Rd | Southbound to Queen's Park |
| 13B | Southbound to Gerrard Street | |
| 34 | Eglinton | Westbound to Mount Dennis station and eastbound to Kennedy station |
| 61 | Avenue Rd North | Northbound to Highway 401 |
| 74 | Mount Pleasant | Southbound to St. Clair station |
| 97A | Yonge | Northbound to York Mills station via Yonge Boulevard and southbound to Davisville station (Northbound and southbound routes use stops on either side of Yonge Street and vehicles do not enter the station) |
| 97B | Northbound to York Mills station via Yonge Boulevard and southbound to Queens Quay via Davisville station (Northbound and southbound routes use stops on either side of Yonge Street and vehicles do not enter the station) | |
| 97F | Northbound to Steeles Avenue and southbound to Davisville station (Northbound and southbound routes use stops on either side of Yonge Street and vehicles do not enter the station) | |
| 103 | Mount Pleasant North | Northbound to Doncliffe Drive |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "TTC Eglinton Station (Station Description)". Toronto Transit Commission. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
- ^ a b Ranger, Michael (May 16, 2023). "Eglinton Crosstown won't open until 2024, construction group to take legal action: Metrolinx". CityNews. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ "Subway ridership, 2023-2024" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
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.
- ^ a b c Moore, Oliver (February 4, 2018). "Subway closings aggravate Yonge and Eglinton driving difficulties". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ^ "Eglinton Station". Metrolinx. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
- ^ Brader, Mark (August 3, 2017). "An Essay On Original Subway Station Design". Transit Toronto. Archived from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
- ^ a b "Eglinton and Mount Pleasant Stations Open House". Metrolinx. October 17, 2017. pp. 15, 19. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
- ^ "Vehicle Ride: Laird Station to EMSF". Metrolinx. November 30, 2021. p. 1:55. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Bow, James. "Eglinton". Transit Toronto. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
- ^ "Yonge and Eglinton Tunnel Closures". The Crosstown. Metrolinx. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
- ^ Spurr, Ben (January 15, 2018). "Art installations will enliven Eglinton Crosstown LRT". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Demolishing the Abandoned TTC Bus Terminal at Yonge and Eglinton". Metrolinx. 2016. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
In 2004 the TTC bus terminal at Yonge and Eglinton was abandoned over safety concerns stemming from the 50 year-old infrastructure. ... Demolition of the terminal began in August of [2016] to make way for the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT Station. ... Future developments surrounding the Eglinton Station LRT entrance ... are yet to be determined.
- ^ a b c d e "Eglinton Crosstown LRT Interchange Stations – Final Designs" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. March 20, 2018. pp. 4 & Attachment 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
- ^ Landau, Jack (March 28, 2017). "New Salvation Army Church to House Crosstown LRT Utilities". UrbanToronto. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ^ "Preparation for Facility Services Building Construction at Eglinton Station". Metrolinx. January 30, 2018. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ^ Munro, Steve (November 17, 2013). "Crosstown LRT Interchanges with the Yonge-University-Spadina Subway". Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ Munro, Steve (May 9, 2018). "TTC Proposes Service Improvements for Fall 2018". Steve Munro. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
The design at Eglinton has been changed so that the pocket track will not be lost. The station's shift north is now shorter than originally planned. (Confirmed by the TTC's Brad Ross.)
- ^ a b "Upcoming TTC subway closures and weekend diversions". Toronto Transit Commission. May 11, 2023. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023.
- ^ Bow, James (September 7, 2015). "A History Of City Streetcars On Yonge Street". Transit Toronto. Archived from the original on July 14, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- ^ Bow, James (May 7, 2017). "97 Yonge". Transit Toronto. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ Bow, James (June 25, 2015). "61 Nortown". Transit Toronto. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ PRESTO card [@PRESTOcard] (November 17, 2016). "Eglinton subway station has brand new PRESTO fare gates! All of @TTChelps Line 1 is now PRESTO enabled. #spotPRESTO" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Line 1: Sheppard-Yonge to Bloor-Yonge full weekend closure October 2 and 3". Toronto Transit Commission. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ "2024 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. November 17, 2023. p. 106.
External links
[edit]
- Official station page
- A photo tour and detailed history of the station are available on the Transit Toronto website
- Integrated Art - Rodney LaTourelle with Louise Witthöft on YouTube published by Metrolinx about an art piece to be installed at the new Line 5 main entrance
- Underpinning Explainer on YouTube published by Metrolinx about excavation work to build Line 5 under Line 1 at Eglinton Station
