Tuesday, March 24, 2015

POTENTIALLY FLAMMABLE LIQUID SUSPENDS SUBWAY SERVICE BETWEEN UNION AND BLOOR-YONGE STATIONS IN TORONTO, CANADA














MARCH 24, 2015

Subway service has been suspended between Union and Bloor-Yonge stations on Line 1 (Yonge-University-Spadina) because of a hazardous track-level spill at College station.

“The strong suspicion is that this is some kind of heating fluid or some other kind of potentially flammable liquid that absolutely must be stopped, in terms of coming in, and must be cleared up before we can resume service,” TTC CEO Andy Byford said Tuesday morning.

He described a pungent kerosene or diesel smell in the station, saying the mysterious liquid coming from the ceiling is “not just dripping through – it’s pouring through.” Byford added the liquid is not related to the subway structure.
North of College, track-level. Leak is oil-like, unsafe to operate. Planning to grout tunnel joints. Update to follow pic.twitter.com/zC6pOuytZk

— Brad Ross (@bradTTC) March 24, 2015

TTC communications director Brad Ross tweeted photos of an oil-like liquid leaking into the tunnel north of College. Workers have taken samples of the substance.

Crews are attempting to plug the leak with grout along the tunnel joints, Byford said. The track bed will then require cleaning.

Byford expected work to last another two to three hours. “We are hopeful that we’ll have (service) up and running for the evening peak.”

Firefighters responded to reports of the spill just before midnight Monday and trains were not running for the morning rush hour.

More tunnel pics of oil-like substance leaking into the tunnel north of College. pic.twitter.com/oDUC1xxNDe
— Brad Ross (@bradTTC) March 24, 2015

Replacement buses are running north and south along Yonge St. between Bloor St. and King St., and continuing west on King St. to St. Andrew station. 

Toronto police were helping keep the route clear for the 70 buses along Yonge.
“You can never replicate a subway service with shuttle service,” said Byford. Peak ridership on a subway train is about 1,000 people, he explained, and a bus can carry only about 60.

Buses cannot pull into Union Station because of construction.

Passengers wanting to travel north from Union Station on the Yonge line can take the subway one stop to St. Andrew station, where a bus will take them to and north on Yonge St.

Riders travelling south on Yonge St. to Union can catch a bus between Bloor St. and King St. that will transport them to St. Andrew station, where they can then take the subway south one stop to Union. 

The subway is operating as usual on the University line.

Mayor John Tory (open John Tory's policard)tweeted that he took the subway to work Tuesday morning.
Source: http://www.thestar.com