[Merged] Union Station flooding shuts subway - toronto

[Too itchy]

Just in case people weren't aware on their way home.....

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1204236--union-station-flooding-shuts-subway?bn=1


Union Station flooding shuts subway

There will be no rush-hour service at Union Station after flooding this afternoon, according to TTC Chief Operating Officer Andy Byford

Shuttle buses are being co-ordinated after the TTC suspended service at the transit hub around 12:30 p.m.

Service is also halted along the Yonge-University-Spadina line between Osgoode and Bloor stations. Shuttle buses are being called in. The University line is still running to St. Patrick station.

Streetcars are also turning back from Union Station.

Flooding, which may have originated from a storm sewer, caused an evacuation and signal issues.

“The water just started coming down,” said Lisa Sage, a TTC tollbooth operator. She said it was like a “monsoon coming down the stairs.”

People who were in Union Station reported a strong smell. Sage said a sewage main broke nearby, causing water and raw sewage to come gushing in, creating a 8”-deep flood. She said she walked through the sewage to get upstairs.

Fire crews have helped people exit the station; some were carried out from foot-high water.

“This was quite hair-raising for me,” Sage said, adding that she’d never seen anything like it. She also saw people trying to get to the tracks despite the flooding.

Nearby sections of the PATH walking system are also flooded. GO Train service for the Lakeshore lines was halted for half an hour, but was restored shortly before 1 p.m. GO trains are operating and can be reached from track level, but access to the main concourse remains closed with 1-2 inches of water.

Fire crews are now pumping water out of the station. The TTC says everyone who was at the platform level has been safely retrieved. No injuries have been reported from either the TTC or train levels.

Byford said the flooding was not caused by the construction now taking place throughout Union Station. He said it appears a storm sewer has broken.

TTC officials are working on contingency plans including one option that would see subway service restored on the affected line but no stops made at flooded stations.

Union Station spokesperson Nancy Kuyumcu said the flood likely originated in the TTC moat and made its way south to the GO concourse and north down the stairs into the TTC tracks.

She said it might be related to sewer work that took place last weekend.

[diggler649]

Hopefully none of that dirty sewer water touches my brand new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 as I drive home from work.

[BluePhirePB]

hopefully none of that dirty sewer water touches my brand new bugatti veyron 16.4 as i drive home from work.ymmv.

[trixstar]

wow, no wonder there was a heck load of traffic downtown today.. took me 20 minutes just to drive 3 blocks. and DVP was packed going both ways at noon

[peanutz]

Wow that sucks for people who need to use it today...but I wish I was there just to see what it's like.

[trixstar]

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/9083/59889510151790182010243.jpg

[spike1128]

I wish the flood will just keep coming, so they destroy enough of the union station to be rebuilt. Parts of the station is such a eye sore.

[Homer88]

Why is it necessary to close so much of the subway? The trains can't go up to like King or Queen and turn back?

[NorthYorker]

Ugh, Union quite often used to smell like a sewage collector even before this event... And I see that fingerpointing had already begun. TTC blames the City, GO blames the TTC, the list goes on.
The trains can't go up to like King or Queen and turn back?Nope, there's no switch from Union to Bloor (this is an old line, not extremely well thought out). Besides, they're probably afraid of flood expansion. Nobody knows where those feces are coming from...

[Coke355mL]

Parts of the PATH are closed as well - like the concourse under RBC Plaza.

[Coke355mL]

Why is it necessary to close so much of the subway? The trains can't go up to like King or Queen and turn back?

Because the power had to be shutdown and that stretch of subway stations all run on the same grid.

[flashy_mcflash]

I wish the flood will just keep coming, so they destroy enough of the union station to be rebuilt. Parts of the station is such a eye sore.

Union's been in the process of rebuilding for quite a while now.

[Kunman]

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/9083/59889510151790182010243.jpg


LOL WTH...its like that movie eddie muphy was in...BHC 3?

btw, i am also for destroying the subway for a new one

[uber_shnitz]

Hopefully Toronto won't be as flooded as Montreal was earlier this week lol :razz:

[jaysfan4life]

I laugh at people going to the jays game tonight.

[mockingjay404]

this is it folks - 2012!

[Simaahoy]

Canoe or Ark?

[yao416]

Cool, thanks for the heads up.

Time to take out my yacht for a ride

[flashy_mcflash]

I guess it's good that it's a flood of water and not, like, sheep.

http://i.imgur.com/GR0oJ.jpg

[TheRealVinsanity]

As long as it doesn't delay the GO train, I'm fine with it.

[kennyhohoho]

I laugh at people going to the jays game tonight.

Your screen name makes that statement very ironic :D

[goob3r]

Are they running shuttle buses from Union or just Bloor/Yonge?

[appleb]

As long as it doesn't delay the GO train, I'm fine with it.

But people trying to get to Union will likely miss their GO train because of this. Especially since many will not even know Union is shut down.

[flashy_mcflash]

But people trying to get to Union will likely miss their GO train because of this. Especially since many will not even know Union is shut down.

The flooding happened at 12:30. If the news hasn't reached them in all this time it's user-error.

[appleb]

The flooding happened at 12:30. If the news hasn't reached them in all this time it's user-error.

Not everyone reads RFD or listens to the radio before leaving work.

[Chowcow3113]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/223976_10150889186959010_513089009_10204718_361961 529_n.jpg

[flashy_mcflash]

Not everyone reads RFD or listens to the radio before leaving work.

People who take the Go typically check for delays before they leave. Also, this was covered in many outlets other than RFD and the radio all afternoon.

[Show_boat]

Union always floods when theres heavy rainfall the drain get clogged very quickly no matter how often we have them drained the station needs new infrastructure

[Drew87]

Man - what a crappy way for the people in the downtown core to end there work week - horrible weather and transit problems.....


I heard that the traffic situation downtown is ridiculous, especially on the highways.....I'm not downtown but I heard that there's an obvious increased car presence because as soon as people found out they started leaving work.

[flashy_mcflash]

Yeah, if you look at Google Maps it's red everywhere, lol. Wouldn't want to have a car downtown right now.

[Rainne]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/223976_10150889186959010_513089009_10204718_361961 529_n.jpg

LOL

wow

[sandikosh]

Ugh, Union quite often used to smell like a sewage collector even before this event... And I see that fingerpointing had already begun. TTC blames the City, GO blames the TTC, the list goes on.Nope, there's no switch from Union to Bloor (this is an old line, not extremely well thought out). Besides, they're probably afraid of flood expansion. Nobody knows where those feces are coming from...

Some of it came from me. :D But don't worry, it is clean.

[BluePhirePB]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/521348_10151794441030061_554115060_24465286_508701 694_n.jpg

[mysticalinfluence]

Hopefully no more of that dirty sewer water touches my 1990 rusty old Toyota Corolla as I drive home from work.

Fixed

[d182]

haha keep those pics coming!

[Akraz]

Hopefully no more of that dirty sewer water touches my 1990 old, rusty, beige Toyota Corolla sedan with hubcaps and broken tail lights as I drive home from work.

Fixed


Fixed.

[at1212b]

Was out and about on Yonge st. South of Bloor and its pretty crazy. Alot of ppl walking up, buses jammed but alot of traffic going north.

Not a good day. I wonder if it'll be closed longer due to extensive damage done to the tracks.. also, I think there is more rain being called for tomorrow.

[Akraz]

All i know is i am not touching dowtown TO with a 10000 foot poll this weekend.

[JMoreno]

Is the mayor going to call in the Navy to help with the clean up?

[diggler649]

Took me 20 mins just to get out of the downtown core. But that was ok. The Hermes leather seats and Puccini sound system in my Bugatti is pure heaven.

[mysticalinfluence]

Fixed.

:lol::lol:my bad

[the_fm]

Hopefully Toronto won't be as flooded as Montreal was earlier this week lol :razz:

http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/6647/55116410151134966458943.jpg

[JustLikePoison]

This is very scary! How did these get there?
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3815/ilfu3.jpg

Link:http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3815/ilfu3.jpg

[C_C]

Its photoshopped.

[JustLikePoison]

Its photoshopped.

its looks very real to me.

[Simaahoy]

I heard there's Camels at the front entrance.

[yao416]

Looks real

[BongoBong]

Came from the same place as jack and rose.

http://www.torontostandard.com/images/uploads/a4bddcaa0cc1796120994048f016465e_main.jpg

[C_C]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investment-ideas/streetwise/bay-street-really-is-a-shark-tank/article2449673/

[yao416]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investment-ideas/streetwise/bay-street-really-is-a-shark-tank/article2449673/

Lol

[45ED]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investment-ideas/streetwise/bay-street-really-is-a-shark-tank/article2449673/


A photoshopped photo is bouncing around email servers on Bay Street showing a pair of sharks circling in the water at the foot of the building’s main escalators, leading to much joking about just which RBC employees decided to go for a swim.

Heh...

[stuntman]

bay street sharks

[trixstar]

check out the bus lineup on the left.. its actually longer then that but i had to cut the video since it was too long


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ1eGs5_loM

[Siskie]

what an embarrassment this is. The TTC was well aware of the flooding in montreal and well aware of the heavy rain weather forecast. They should have taken actions to prevent this from happening. They could have easily put up sandbags to stop most if not all of the water.

It kills me that TTC union workers can sit around and plan a strike for months but cant plan for a simple flood

[edgedamage]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/521348_10151794441030061_554115060_24465286_508701 694_n.jpg

When did the scotia tower get flooded?

[Siskie]

This is very scary! How did these get there?
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3815/ilfu3.jpg

Link:http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3815/ilfu3.jpg

Those are actually Toronto unionized city workers in disguise. Looks like they are looking for a chance to sink their teeth into city taxpayers again.

[Nettles]

If you guys can remember the 2003 blackout then you can survive the transportation being shut down for the weekend.

[coriolis]

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Moshi_photo/FORD_SPLASH.jpg

[BD006]

When did the scotia tower get flooded?

Scotia tower? Not sure if you're trying to make another lame shark joke, but that's the concourse of Royal Bank Plaza.

I had to walk from Brookfield Place to Union to catch my train after work, and the concourse smelled like sh*t.

[random1315]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YR4ipLljidY/T8lw9O6jKXI/AAAAAAAAAjc/B-_9howTxRE/s800/292680_10151802885950187_2043332941_n.jpg

[glover78]

I'm glad that given the dismal situation Torontonians were faced with, they can still show some humour and poke fun at the situation :lol:

[edgedamage]

Scotia tower? Not sure if you're trying to make another lame shark joke, but that's the concourse of Royal Bank Plaza.

I had to walk from Brookfield Place to Union to catch my train after work, and the concourse smelled like sh*t.

Yes it was a lame joke. Lucky for me I have so much vacation days to burn through, I took a half day off on Friday. I got on a nice empty north bound train at 11:05am, ahhh looking foreword to the next couple Fridays off :twisted: