Bloor-Danforth Line

This article is part of the Toronto Subway and RT Lines series.
	Yonge-University-Spadina Line
	Bloor-Danforth Line
	Sheppard Line
	Scarborough RT

The Bloor-Danforth Line is the main east-west subway line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission. It has 31 stations, and is about 25 km long. It opened in 1966, and extensions at both ends were completed in 1968 and again in 1980.

Table of contents

1 History
2 Stations

2.1 Kipling
2.2 Islington
2.3 Royal York
2.4 Old Mill
2.5 Jane
2.6 Runnymede
2.7 High Park
2.8 Keele
2.9 Dundas West
2.10 Lansdowne
2.11 Dufferin
2.12 Ossington
2.13 Christie
2.14 Bathurst
2.15 Spadina
2.16 St. George
2.17 Bay
2.18 Bloor-Yonge
2.19 Sherbourne
2.20 Castle Frank
2.21 Broadview
2.22 Chester
2.23 Pape
2.24 Donlands
2.25 Greenwood
2.26 Coxwell
2.27 Woodbine
2.28 Main Street
2.29 Victoria Park
2.30 Warden
2.31 Kennedy

3 Notes

History

There was some debate in the 1960s about where the second Toronto subway line would run. There were many advocates for it to run under Queen Street, but many others supported Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue. Due to the large amount of growth in that area, plus the prophetically available rail deck on the Bloor Street Viaduct, the second option went ahead.

The original Bloor-Danforth line was built in 1966, going under Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue from Keele station in the west to Woodbine station in the east. Within two years, the Bloor/Danforth line had been extended in both directions, to Islington Station in the west and Warden Station in the east.

In 1980, the line was extended once again, to the current termini of Kipling station in the west end and Kennedy station in the east.

Stations

The line has its western terminus near Kipling Avenue and Bloor Street West. Going east for twelve kilometers along Bloor, it meets the Y-U-S line at Spadina, St. George, and Yonge stations. Two kilometres further on Bloor East, crossing the Bloor Street Viaduct, it continues just north of Danforth Avenue for six more kilometres before turning northeast for the final five kilometres, ending at Kennedy station (near Kennedy Road and Eglinton Avenue) which is also the southern terminus of the Scarborough RT.

Most of the line is underground, with exceptions noted below; most of the tunnel is cut-and-cover, but some is bored. The line generally does not run under Bloor Street or Danforth Avenue themselves, but is offset to the north: in some areas it runs under a parking alley behind the businesses on the north side of the street, while some other sections run under side streets. All stations (except Chester), whether by transfer or fare-paid terminal, connect to surface TTC bus and/or streetcar routes. Other surface and train connections are noted below.

As of early 2004, Kipling, Dundas West, Bathurst, Spadina (this line only), St. George, Bloor-Yonge, and Kennedy stations have elevators for wheelchair access.

Kipling

St. Albans Road at Aukland Road, near Dundas Street West at its more westerly intersection with Bloor Street West, and near Kipling Avenue. Opened 1980.
Connections: Kipling station on GO Transit's Milton line

This station is designed around commuter travel, with a "Kiss & Ride" drop-off platform, carpool parking, and both TTC and GO service. Space was provided on the station's bus level for a connecting RT line similar to the Scarborough RT, but this was never built.

The station is at ground level. For most of the way to the next station the line continues on the surface, alongside the railway right-of-way, paralleling Dundas Street at a distance. After crossing over Bloor Street to the north side, it turns somewhat to the right to take up the normal alignment parallel to Bloor. At this point the line goes underground.

Islington

Bloor Street West at Islington Avenue, opened 1968.
Nearby landmarks: Islington Village, Mimico Creek
Connections: Mississauga Transit buses

Between this and the next station, the line comes out of tunnel to cross Mimico Creek on a bridge, then returns to tunnel.

Royal York

Bloor Street West at Royal York Road, opened 1968.

Old Mill

Bloor Street West at Old Mill Terrace/Humber Boulevard, opened 1968.
Nearby landmarks: The Old Mill Inn, Humber River, Park Lawn Cemetery

This station is built into the side of the Humber River valley. Its west end is underground, while its east end is on the bridge that takes the line across the river, with glass walls for a view of the riverside park. After crossing the river the line returns directly to tunnel.

In 2000 the station was damaged by a fire on a garbage-collection train, just after the subway had closed for the night. This was most likely due to a lit cigarette disposed of in a garbage can at another station. After this incident the TTC switched to leaving garbage outside stations for collection by truck.

Jane

Bloor Street West at Jane Street, opened 1968.

Runnymede

Bloor Street West at Runnymede Road, opened 1968.
Nearby landmarks: Bloor West Village

About halfway to the next station, the line comes to the surface and crosses over Clendenan Avenue.

High Park

Bloor Street West at Quebec Avenue, near High Park Avenue, opened 1968.
Nearby landmarks: High Park

The west end of the station is at ground level, but the east end is underground.

Keele

Bloor Street West at Keele Street/Parkside Drive, opened 1966.

Although the station was a terminus for two years, it was known that this would be temporary, so it was built with outside platforms rather than a single center platform that would conveniently serve departures from either track.

Immediately before Keele Street the line emerges from a hillside, changing directly from tunnel to an elevated alignment, then enters the station. A side street called Indian Grove actually crosses below the station. The Keele Street bridge and the station are fully enclosed; after the station, the line emerges onto an open bridge. It then descends to ground level to run beside the small, and no longer actively used, Vincent or Keele Yard, and after this, descends into tunnel.

Dundas West

Bloor Street West at its more easterly intersection with Dundas Street West (near Edna Avenue), opened 1966.
Connections: Bloor station on GO Transit's Georgetown line
Nearby landmarks: The Junction, Roncesvalles Village

After leaving the station, the line runs in bored tunnel until just before the next station. This allowed it to pass under several railway lines without disturbing them during construction.

Spadina station consists of two separate parts, one for each line, at the same level and 400 m apart; the north-south station was originally planned as a separate station called Lowther, but the TTC decided to join them, presumably to save on staffing costs, with a pair of long underground moving walkways, which in 2004 are facing removal to save the cost of refurbishment. An underground streetcar loop for the 510 Spadina streetcar was opened in 1997 at the Bloor end of the station.

Immediately after the station, a pair of connecting tracks branch off each side of the line and climb to meet the Yonge-University-Spadina Line.

St. George

Bloor Street West at St. George Street, opened 1966 (Bloor-Danforth Line).
Connects to the Yonge-University-Spadina Line (1)
Nearby landmarks: Bata Shoe Museum, University of Toronto - north side, York Club

Bay

Bloor Street West at Bay Street, opened 1966.
Nearby landmarks: Manulife Centre, Yorkville

Early plans of the Bloor line, and even some published maps, named this station "Yorkville"; the platform signs still read "BAY" in large type, with a smaller "YORKVILLE" underneath.

See also: Lower Bay, note (1)

Bloor-Yonge

Yonge Street at Bloor Street West/East, opened 1966 (Bloor-Danforth Line).
Connects to the Yonge-University-Spadina Line
Nearby landmarks: Toronto Reference Library, Yonge St. Strip - northerly end

The station is called Bloor-Yonge on maps, but signed "Bloor" on the Yonge-University-Spadina line and "Yonge" on the Bloor-Danforth Line, following the style common in New York.

Immediately before the station, the second pair of connecting tracks from the Yonge-University-Spadina line (from the University section) join onto the running lines from the inside. Within the station, the Yonge section of the Yonge-University-Spadina line crosses above this line.

After the station, the line goes into bored tunnel to cross to the south side of Bloor Street.

Sherbourne

Bloor Street East at Sherbourne Street/Sherbourne Street North, opened 1966.

After the station, the line crosses back under Bloor Street to the north side. It then emerges from tunnel to cross the Rosedale Ravine on a bridge, and then returns to tunnel.

The adjacent bridge that takes Bloor Street across the ravine, although built with provision for a lower deck as part of the Prince Edward Viaduct project, is at an angle to the general line of Bloor Street and the subway could not conveniently use it. A conventional bridge was planned for the subway line, with a view of the ravine, but local objections forced the TTC to enclose it in a concrete shell for noise abatement.

Castle Frank

Bloor Street East at Castle Frank Road, opened 1966.
Nearby landmarks: St. James Cemetery, Bloor Street Viaduct west end

After the station, the line runs under Bloor Street to use the lower deck of the Viaduct. At the end of the Viaduct it swings back to the usual offset position north of Danforth Avenue.

Broadview

Danforth Avenue at Broadview Avenue, opened 1966.
Nearby landmarks: Riverdale Park, Bloor Street Viaduct east end

Chester

Danforth Avenue at Chester Avenue, opened 1966.
Nearby landmarks: Withrow Park

Pape

Danforth Avenue at Pape Avenue, opened 1966.
Nearby landmarks: Greektown

Donlands

Danforth Avenue at Donlands Avenue, opened 1966.

Between Donlands and Greenwood stations is a full grade-separated, double-track, underground wye junction, allowing trains from either direction to access the TTC's Greenwood yard, their largest subway yard, which is on the surface south of Danforth Avenue..

Greenwood

Danforth Avenue at Greenwood Avenue, opened 1966.

Coxwell

Danforth Avenue at Coxwell Avenue, opened 1966.
Nearby landmarks: Monarch Park, Toronto East General Hospital

Woodbine

Danforth Avenue at Woodbine Avenue, opened 1966.

Main Street

Danforth Avenue at Main Street, opened 1968.
Connections: 350 m south to Danforth station on GO Transit's Stouffville and Lakeshore East lines

This "Main Street" was the main street of the suburban town of East Toronto, which was amalgamated into Toronto in 1908. The station name includes the word "Street" in order to avoid the possible misreading that it is the subway's "main station."

After leaving the station, the line starts to angle north away from Danforth Avenue. Just before the next station it emerges to run on the surface.

Victoria Park

The Market Place/Albion Avenue at Victoria Park Avenue, opened 1968.

For a short section through Victoria Park station the line is elevated. After the station it returns to ground level and angles northeast, diagonal to the street grid.

Warden

St. Clair Avenue East at Warden Avenue, opened 1968.
Nearby landmarks: Providence Health Centre, Warden Woods, Pine Hills Cemetery

After leaving the station, the line returns to tunnel, continuing on its diagonal alignment.

Kennedy

Kennedy Road at Eglinton Avenue East, opened 1980.
Connects to the Scarborough RT
Nearby landmarks: Mid-Scarborough Community Centre

This is a four-level station: RT (top), buses, entry concourse, and subway. The subway and RT tracks through the station are parallel.

Notes

(1) Bay and St. George stations each have four parallel tracks, two above two. Between these stations and Museum is a full double-track, grade-separated wye junction. The tracks to/from Museum connect to the upper St. George and lower Bay stations, while the tracks along Bloor use lower St. George and upper Bay. From February to September 1966 all three sides of the wye were used in regular service: from each of three terminals - Eglinton, Keele, and Woodbine - trains ran alternately to the other two (between Eglinton and Museum they went via Union). Thereafter the Bloor-Danforth Line became a separate route, lower Bay was closed, and upper St. George became a terminus until the line to Wilson was opened. Lower Bay is sometimes used as a movie or TV set representing various other cities, and has been used for platform-surface experiments; see its article for more.