Union Station Elevator Closed for TTC Construction

The Toronto Transit Commission is advising customers that the Union Station elevator connecting the concourse level to the platform used by trains travelling north on the University Line is closed for construction of a new elevator and escalator. Customers travelling southbound on the University Line or northbound on the Yonge Line are not affected by this closure.

The new elevator will open in February 2015 but a temporary lift is scheduled to open in late December.

The elevator closure was originally planned for early December to speed up construction of the new elevator, escalator and stairs, and existing platform and concourse finishes to ensure all work at Union Station is completed in advance of the Pan Am/Parapan Am 2015 Games. However, late last week, construction crews working at Union Station inadvertently cut hydraulic cables that operate the elevator. The TTC met with the contractor to assess the damage and determined that it would be best to immediately close the elevator and fast track the work.
 
As a result of the closure, customers requiring an elevator will be asked to adjust their journey as follows:

• If you are travelling southbound on the Yonge Line, and would normally get off at Union Station and use the elevator that has been closed, ‎continue your journey and exit at the next stop – St Andrew – cross the centre platform and take the next train back to Union and use the Yonge-side elevator to go up to the concourse level. Time added: approximately five minutes.


• If you are starting your journey at Union Station, and you normally use the University-side elevator to take you to trains heading northbound to Downsview, you will instead need to obtain a paper transfer from the transfer machine when you pay your fare, take the Yonge-side elevator down to the new platform and travel north two stops to Queen Station. At Queen, take the elevator outside the fare gate down one level, use the underpass to reach the elevator that takes you back up to the southbound platform, show the Collector your transfer to re-enter the faregate, and continue your journey. ‎Time added: approximately 15 minutes.


• Customers also have the option at Union of travelling northbound on the Yonge Line to Bloor-Yonge Station, connect with a westbound train on the Bloor-Danforth Line and exit at St George Station to continue northbound on the University line. Time added: approximately 15 minutes.

Customer service staff will be available throughout the elevator closure to assist customers.