Toronto’s transit operator says a fight on a subway train that took it out of commission not long after the new year was rung in contributed to crowds at the city’s largest transit hub as revelers were travelling home.
The Toronto Transit Commission says the large crowds at Union Station, as well as what led to them, will be reviewed when it meets with the city and regional transit operator Metrolinx later this week.
Videos posted on social media showed people crammed shoulder to shoulder in parts of Union Station following New Year’s Eve festivities in the city.
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TTC’s spokesman Stuart Green says a fight took place on a subway train that had to be taken out of service shortly before 12:30 a.m., when people started leaving downtown Toronto, with riders moved onto what was already a busy platform.
Green says that caused a 10-minute delay and entry to that platform from the GO Transit side of the Union Station concourse was stopped as a standard safety measure.
He says that likely accounts for some of the crowding seen at Union Station.
Metrolinx, which operates GO Transit, says customer volumes in its concourses are directly affected by TTC service changes, as well as additional people waiting for subways who could create a backlog in its Bay concourse.
Both Metrolinx and the TTC were offering free rides after midnight on New Year’s Day and say they were able to get their customers home safely.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
