A small fire on a TTC work car early Tuesday morning led to a temporary shutdown of subway service through Toronto’s busiest interchange, resulting in major commuter delays during the morning rush.
According to TTC CEO Mandeep Lali, the incident began around 5:30 a.m. on Line 2 Bloor-Danforth near the Bloor-Yonge interchange, when smoke and flames were reported on a maintenance vehicle.
As a precaution, the TTC suspended service between Broadview and St. George stations on Line 2 and bypassed Bloor-Yonge station on Line 1. Shuttle buses were deployed along both Yonge Street and the Bloor-Danforth corridor to assist in moving stranded passengers.
Toronto Fire crews responded quickly and worked alongside TTC staff to extinguish the fire and secure the area. No injuries were reported.
By 7:15 a.m., the TTC confirmed that full service had resumed on both affected lines; however, riders reported long waits for shuttle buses and crowded conditions at nearby stations.
CEO apologizes for TTC delays
In a statement posted to social media, Lali apologized to riders for the disruption, acknowledging the “massive inconvenience” caused at the city’s busiest transit hub.
“At approximately 5:30 this morning, there was a fire on one of our work cars on Line 2 near the Bloor-Yonge interchange. We took the difficult decision to suspend service on Line 2 between Broadview and St. George and a bypassing of the station on Line 1,” Lali said.
“While we don’t know exactly what caused this malfunction at this stage, I have asked the team to get me a full and detailed explanation as soon as possible so we can try to prevent this from happening again.”
Lali noted that the TTC had already introduced a comprehensive inspection program for its work car fleet following a series of mechanical issues in recent years. In light of Tuesday’s fire, he has requested a further review of that program.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The TTC says it will release more details once its internal review is complete.