Subway service was suspended on a portion of Line 1 for most of Wednesday afternoon after power was shut off on a moving subway train, forcing 54 passengers to walk along the track back to Union Station.
Stuart Green, a spokesperson for the TTC, said that the power was shut off as a result of a “fail safe” being triggered.
According to Green, two trains in the area suffered damage to the “shoes” on the bottom of each car that connects with the electrified rail. One of the trains lost all of its shoes and became disabled.
Green also said that there were reports of “smoke at track level.”
As a result, subway service on Line 1 between Bloor and Osgoode stations was suspended.
Passengers were forced to evacuate the train and walk along the tracks back to Union Station. There were no injuries reported.
One passenger said that he had entered the southbound train at King Station around 12:20 p.m.
“After Union, everything went quiet and dark,” said Julien Chagnon-Zimmerly. “Everyone groaned and the emergency lights came on.”
Chagnon-Zimmerly told CTV News Toronto that the train sat there for about an hour and someone kept repeating over the intercom that there was a fire investigation.
“Some time later they told us to head to the back and we’d be escorted to union,” he said. “We walked back.”
About 50 shuttle buses were running between Bloor-Yonge and Osgoode stations and extra buses were brought in along the King and Queen streetcar routes.
The disabled trains were towed out of the tunnel and around 5:15 p.m. full subway service had resumed.
Green said that the TTC is still investigating why the shoes of the train came off.
