Toronto Union Station Begins Construction on South Concourse
Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
Metrolinx
As part of the Union Station Enhancement Project, crews have begun piling work at Toronto’s Union Station on the south passenger concourse.
The planned concourse will connect passengers between Bay and York Streets. After the work is completed, the concourse will span approximately 1,066 feet, or roughly the length of a 12-car GO Train, according to Metrolinx.
Crews installed the first of more than 50 piles in mid-November. Piling is starting at the west end of the project work area and will move east as the work continues.
Preparation for the project included the installation of 14 structural steel supports along the heritage trainshed to reinforce and protect the structure.
Four platforms—24, 25, 26, and 27—were demolished and are set to be replaced with wider platforms with more space for passengers to efficiently move through or wait for trains.
The project will provide GO Transit commuters with improved access to and from the concourse levels, a release said. Through Winter 2023, the track slabs that remain from early on in the project will be demolished, and excavation for the new south concourse will begin.
Once the required depths are reached, crews will begin constructing the concourse concrete slabs, columns, and stairs to access the new platforms, Metrolinx said.
Inside the station, two sets of temporary stairs are currently under construction. One set of temporary stairs will be located in the south end of the VIA concourse, which will connect customers to the retail level below. The other set of temporary stairs will be in the east end of the hallway that runs along the south side of the existing concourses, that will connect to the Scotiabank Arena area, just outside the existing entrance to the Bay concourse.
After the project is complete, the pedestrian walkway located south of the VIA concourse that connects to 25 York Street will close permanently and be replaced by the new concourse.
“Union Station is undergoing much-needed modernization while preserving heritage features to meet transit needs now and in the future,” a release said.
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