Subway service resumes in Toronto after oil leak causes Line 2 closure

Commuters are shown boarding a shuttle bus outside St. George Station on May 13.

Subway service on Toronto's Line 2 has resumed after a closure during the afternoon rush caused by a hydraulic oil leak.

The pause in service due to slippery track conditions near Sherbourne Station began at around 7:30 a.m. and returned around 6:30 p.m., nearly 12 hours later.

According to spokesperson for the Toronto Transit Commission, Stuart Green, the shutdown was a result of a work car that dropped hydraulic acid between Yonge and Castle Frank stations overnight.

The closure stretched between St George and Broadview stations, which Green explained is because there are limited turnback locations for the trains.

“The trains were trying to stop and much like a car slips on ice, the train would overshoot the platform by a little bit,” he said.

Green said the TTC doesn’t know how the hydraulic oil leak happened but manual deep cleaning is underway.

Over the last eight days, there have been three significant issues during peak travel times on Line 2 in the east end, Green acknowledged. He said TTC delays fluctuate, at times there are none and other times there are several in a condensed time period.

“The perception that we’ve had a number of issues on Line 2 is fair, it’s true,” he said.