Thousands stranded as TTC shuts down subway service for trespasser
TTC officials have been holding train service along a major portion of Toronto's Bloor-Danforth subway line for more than an hour now following an incident in which police say two men were fighting on the tracks.
The transit agency announced shortly before 2 p.m. that there was no service on Line 2 between Victoria Park and Broadview as the result of "a trespasser on the tracks."
Police revealed on Twitter shortly thereafter that two men had been fighting at Woodbine Station. One man is believed to have dragged another into the subway tunnel, prompting TTC operators to cut the power (which is standard procedure when anyone ends up near the incredibly-deadly electric rail).
Trespasser on the tracks! There's currently no #TTC subway service between Woodbine and Broadview stations #Toronto pic.twitter.com/pXuBg9A4p5
— blogTO (@blogTO) May 21, 2019
Officers chased one suspect, according to the police tweet, but the man fled by running into a subway tunnel. He has yet to be found.
As a result, the TTC is holding all trains while police investigate.
Subway passengers, meanwhile, are growing more and more irate by the minute as they wait in large groups for shuttle buses to arrive (or not arrive, as it were).
Been waiting for almost 35 minutes and only one shuttle bus with over 300 people waiting.
— grizzlyjatt (@GrizzlyJatt) May 21, 2019
Riders are frustrated over how few shuttle buses they're seeing at stations all across the east side of Toronto.
@TTChelps @TTCnotices uhmmmm? Where are our buses going to broadview? pic.twitter.com/0tCvBKhKfl
— CHONGIWA (@ExosEverything) May 21, 2019
Those buses that do arrive are filling up fast, making it hard for many people to get where they're going.
People can’t even get on a bus at Greenwood going east. 5 bus have gone by. All packed
— Nancy F Chan (@nfchan13) May 21, 2019
Many are hopping into Ubers and Lyfts in order to avoid being late.
Bruh.... fuck this I’m ordering an Uber 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/F9avgo3Ogy
— علي (@MansaMusaaaa) May 21, 2019
It's not cheap, but it's the only option in some cases.
Guess who had to pay thirty dollars for a Lyft home from broadview station because I had a panic attack from the huge crowd screaming and pushing for shuttle bushes? 🙋🏼♀️ #ttc
— Paige McMaster (@PaigeMcMaster) May 21, 2019
The TTC did announce around 3:10 that subway service had resumed between Woodbine and Broadview on Line 2, but customers continue to report serious delays all over the system right now.
Leave yourself plenty of extra time if you've got to be somewhere fast this evening. Rush hour is only just beginning, meaning things could get worse before they get better.
Dani Stover
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