Sheppard 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 Sheppard Line is the newest subway line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission. It has five stations, and is 6.4 km long. It opened on November 24, 2002.

Table of contents

1 History 2 Stations 2.1 Sheppard-Yonge 2.2 Bayview 2.3 Bessarion 2.4 Leslie 2.5 Don Mills 3 External Links

History

Plans were developed in the early 1990s to build new subway lines along Eglinton and Sheppard Avenues. However, with the election of the Conservative provincial government in 1995, work on the Eglinton Line was stopped. When the Sheppard Line opened in 2002, it was the city's the first completely new subway line in decades. However, it was much shorter than originally planned, going only from Yonge Street (at Sheppard Station) east to Don Mills Road, and it is not likely to be extended soon. It cost just under $11 billion and took 8 years to build, and is the first subway line in Canada to be built with a tunnel-boring machine. (All stations are in cut-and-cover tunnel.)

The line is designed to be extended at both ends, probably running west at least as far as Downsview Station, and east and somewhat south to reach Scarborough Town Centre. The stations are built to eventually take the TTC's standard subway trains of six 75-foot (23 m) cars, but each station's platform has been shortened to fit a 4-car train in the meantime.

Stations

The entire line runs under or near Sheppard Avenue East.
All stations, whether by transfer or fare-paid terminal, connect to surface TTC bus routes. Other surface connections are noted below.
All of its stations have elevators for wheelchair access.
Public art is present in every station; a summary is listed with each, below.

Sheppard-Yonge

Sheppard Avenue East/West at Yonge Street, opened 2002 (Sheppard Line).
Connects to the Yonge-University-Spadina Line
Public Art: A landscape frieze along the platforms and mezzanines, showing how Yonge Street would have looked in its time as a very rural thoroughfare

Much like the Bloor-Yonge Station, this station was renamed from "Sheppard" to "Sheppard-Yonge" upon the opening of this line in 2002, but does it not have differing names on the platforms; both say "Sheppard-Yonge". The Sheppard Line tracks cross above the Yonge line. Near the station are two junction tracks connecting the two lines, used only if cars or work equipment need to be transferred between them. The track continues west from Yonge some 500 metres to allow for future growth.

The Sheppard line platforms are currently on the outer sides of the tracks; however, a center platform is also roughed-in. Should the station become a busy transport hub, this platform will be opened and trains will open all their doors, allowing riders to enter on one side and exit on the other. At present all trains normally use just one of the two open platforms, with the other held in reserve.

Bayview

Sheppard Avenue East at Bayview Avenue, opened 2002.
Nearby landmarks: Bayview Village Shopping Centre
Public Art: Various perspective-cheating trompe l'oeil illustrations on walls and floors

Bessarion

Sheppard Avenue East at Bessarion Road/Burbank Drive, opened 2002.
Public Art: A frieze of hands, backs of heads and feet, representing the users of the station

Leslie

Sheppard Avenue East at Old Leslie Street, opened 2002.
Nearby landmarks: East Don River; North York General Hospital
Connections: Oriole Station on GO Transit's Richmond Hill line
Public Art: 7,000 unique tiles each with the words 'Sheppard and Leslie', based on community handwriting

Just east of the station, the line emerges from tunnel to cross the Don River East Branch on a fully enclosed bridge, then returns to tunnel.

Don Mills

Sheppard Avenue East at Don Mills Road, opened 2002.
Nearby landmarks: Fairview Mall
Connections: Buses of GO Transit, York Region Transit
Public Art: Tilework on walls representing the geologic strata which the line travels through

External Links

Transit Toronto -- The Sheppard subway