ttc reduced speed zones

TTC announces slower subway service and people are very pissed off

The TTC announced a lengthy list of reduced speed zones on the subway network on Friday, and it didn't take long for this latest decline in public transit service to incense commuters.

The transit agency stated on Friday that subway operators "may be asked by Transit Control to reduce their speed through a certain area of the subway system as a safety precaution due to crews at track level or ongoing maintenance being performed on the tracks," accompanied by a list of 21 stretches of track where riders can expect slower travel times.

Affected stretches of track include 15 portions of Line 1 and another six sections of Line 2:

Line 1 (Yonge-University):
  • Northbound from College to Wellesley
  • Northbound from Highway 407 to Vaughan Metro Centre
  • Northbound from Lawrence to York Mills
  • Northbound from Museum to St George
  • Northbound from St George to Spadina
  • Northbound from St Clair to Davisville
  • Northbound from Summerhill to St Clair
  • Northbound from Union to King
  • Northbound from York Mills to Sheppard
  • Southbound from Davisville to St Clair
  • Southbound from King to Union
  • Southbound from Spadina to St George
  • Southbound from St Andrew to Union
  • Southbound from St Clair West to Dupont
  • Southbound from Wellesley to College
Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth):
  • Eastbound from Broadview to Chester
  • Eastbound from Castle Frank to Broadview
  • Eastbound from Royal York to Old Mill
  • Eastbound from Victoria Park to Warden
  • Eastbound from Warden to Kennedy
  • Westbound from Warden to Victoria Park

The announcement has enraged riders, many of whom were already frustrated with spotty TTC service.

Public transit expert Steve Munro posted a thread on X explaining the reasoning behind the service slowdowns, which are apparently just the latest blowback from the 2023 Scarborough RT derailment and subsequent permanent closure of the line.

One user even created an updated map of the TTC's subway network, showing commuters a more realistic visualization of the system.

It didn't take long for these slowdowns to contribute to cascading chaos on the network, with the TTC announcing "major delays" on Line 1 to kick off the Monday morning rush hour.

The TTC's announcement of these speed reduction zones came on the eve of a fifth consecutive weekend closure on the subway network — one of just 22 full-weekend closures planned for 2024 alone as the transit agency rushes to keep tracks and stations from crumbling into disrepair.

Lead photo by

ACHPF/Shutterstock


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