Platforms side platforms Disabled access Yes Province Ontario | Structure type underground Opened 30 March 1954 Tracks 2 | |
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Location 3 Queen Street East
Toronto, Ontario
Canada Connections TTC buses and Streetcars
97 Yonge
141 Downtown/Mt Pleasant Express
142 Downtown/Avenue Rd Express
143 Downtown/Beach Express
144 Downtown/Don Valley Express
145 Downtown/Humber Bay Express
301 Queen
320 Yonge
501 Queen
502 Downtowner Passengers (2014) 52,300
Ranked 9th of 69 Address 8 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H, Canada Similar King, Dundas, Osgoode, St Andrew, St Patrick | ||
Queen is a subway station on the Yonge–University line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located under Yonge Street north from Queen Street to Shuter Street. Wi-fi service is available at this station.
Contents
History
Queen Station opened in 1954 as part of the original stretch of the Yonge subway line from Union to Eglinton stations. The original address given to the station, 171 Yonge Street, is still commonly used in TTC system maps, but this address is not used for any nearby buildings and points to the actual intersection. The address provided by the TTC website, 3 Queen Street East, is located across from the Maritime Life Tower, by the 1 Queen Street East subway entrance.
In 1997, this station became accessible with elevators.
On 13 December 2013, the Toronto Police were called in after gun shots were fired on board a subway train at the station. The Passenger Assistance Alarm was pressed, and the station was evacuated soon after. A man in his 20s was shot and was rushed to nearby St. Michael's Hospital in life-threatening condition, but stable on the day after. The station continued to be closed on 14 December 2013, with subway service from Bloor to Union stations being replaced by shuttle bus service.
Lower Queen
Early subway expansion plans called for an east-west subway for streetcars under Queen Street, and a lower Queen station for these was roughed in under the subway station. Priorities changed and the line was never built, but many people unknowingly pass through this lower station every day; the tunnels that go under the station so that riders can move between northbound and southbound platforms use portions of this intended station, with most of the excess infrastructure walled off.
Strictly speaking, it is only a roughed-out second set of platforms built underneath a currently-operating station. It is located directly underneath the existing station. The station was designed as part of a planned but never-built streetcar subway that would have run east and west along Queen Street. A similar station was planned underneath the existing Osgoode station (also situated along Queen Street). Although underground pipes and conduits were specifically routed around this intended site, construction was never started.
The trackway was planned for streetcars rather than dedicated subway trains, similar to the much newer streetcar-only underground track originating at Union Station used for the 510 Spadina and 509 Harbourfront routes. The Queen subway would have allowed streetcars from the Queen line (now route 501), King line (now route 504), Kingston Road line (now routes 502 and 503), and Dundas lines (now route 505) to avoid centre-city traffic, and then surface to run on regular streets in outlying areas.
The plan to build a streetcar subway under Queen Street was delayed and then cancelled in favour of an east-west line further north, which became the Bloor-Danforth line. As a result, the Lower Queen Station was never put into service. Unlike the abandoned platform at Lower Bay, this station is not used in any way save as an occasional storage facility and film set, and the aforementioned passageway.
Station description
The station lies under Yonge Street north of Queen Street to Shuter Street. The station has seven entrances from street level, which includes accessible entrances from inside the Eaton Centre and the Maritime Life Tower. Other entrances include a sidewalk staircase entrance from Shuter Street, and other entrances from 1 Queen Street East, 8 Queen Street West, by The Bay, and from the north entrance outside the Eaton Centre.
Below street level are the concourses, with one above and across the north end of the platforms and at the south there is one on each side at track level with an underpass to connect them.
The only tenant in the station is Gateway Newstands, and there is one located on both platforms inside the fare-paid area.
Architecture and art
The station contains painted murals by John Boyle at the platform level entitled Our Nell, featuring depictions of Nellie McClung, William Lyon Mackenzie, as well as the former Simpson's and Eaton's department stores.
Nearby landmarks
Nearby landmarks include the Hudson's Bay Company's Queen Street store, the south end of the Eaton Centre, the Old City Hall courts, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto City Hall, the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres, and Massey Hall.
Surface connections
A transfer is required to connect between the subway system and these surface routes: