toronto subway alternate timeline 2026

this alt timeline is based on what the network would look like today with a good handful of realisticness and history, if we built the queen streetcar subway instead of the bloor Danforth subway 1954: YONGE SUBWAY: Canada’s first subway line Utilized cut and cover, trenches, and open air sections Union to Eglinton Via Yonge and Front Used traditional heavy rail subway stock with Gloucester cars New Davisville Yard used to store trains 1957: UNIVERSITY SUBWAY: Union to Osgoode Extension of Yonge Subway northwest via Front and University Used same methods as original Yonge line 1961: YORKVILLE SUBWAY EXTENSION: Osgoode to Humewood Extension of University subway northwest via University, Avenue Rd, Davenport, and Nordenheimer Ravine Utilized cut and cover on Avenue, but mined in the ravine Utilized the Milan method of tunneling on the curve near Avenue and Davenport 1966: QUEEN STREETCAR SUBWAY: Shaw Portal to Gerrard Portal, with midline portals at Empire Portal, and Trinity Park Via Trinity Park ROW, Queen, and CN Kingston Sub Used PCC/Peter Witt streetcars Cut and cover Space allocated for possible subway conversion 4 routes: Kingston: Bingham Loop to Dufferin Gate Loop Via Kingston, Queen, Queen streetcar subway, and Dufferin Queen: Neville Park Loop to Humber Loop Via Queen, Queen streetcar subway, and median ROW on the Queensway Gerrard: Luttrell Loop to High Park Loop Via Danforth, Main, Coxwell, Gerrard, Queen streetcar subway, Dundas, and Howard Park Dundas Danforth: Luttrell Loop to Runnymede Loop Via Danforth, Pape, Queen streetcar subway, Dundas 1973: DUNDAS QUEEN DANFORTH SUBWAY: Runnymede to Main Street Via Dundas Ave West, Trinity Park ROW, Queen, CN Kingston Sub, Pape, and Strathmore Used the space allocated in the Queen streetcar tunnel, and cut and cover for the rest of the line, mined where curves go under buildings Replaces Dundas Danforth streetcar Streetcar tunnel still exists, funneling Kingston, Queen, and Gerrard streetcars Gerrard streetcar shifted to end at Main Street station New yard for the line, Greenwood Yard 1975: WARDEN SUBWAY EXTENSION Main Street to Warden Utilized old rail corridors and cut and cover Extension of Dundas Queen Danforth subway under houses to Victoria Park, cut and cover, before cutting above ground and following the abandoned CN Trenton/Orono Subdivision Abandoned ROW from the old CN Trenton/Orono Subdivision from Warden up to Hwy 401 is reserved to prevent development on this land, and allow a rail extension to the planned Scarborough Town Centre 1975: ISLINGTON SUBWAY EXTENSION: Runnymede to Islington Extension of the Dundas Queen Danforth Subway along the CPKC Galt Subdivision Utilized cut and cover until Jane and then going above ground to meet the Galt Sub 1980: YONGE NORTH SUBWAY EXTENSION PHASE 1: Eglinton to Sheppard Via Yonge Utilized deep bore TBM tunnels 1983: SCARBOROUGH CENTRE SUBWAY EXTENSION: Warden to Scarborough Town Centre Via abandoned CN Trenton/Orono Subdivision until diving underground with TBMs with a straight shot to Scarborough Centre, under housing Plans originally considered running CLRV trams up to STC via the corridor, and then being changed to the ICTS technology developed by the UTDC, but borough mayor Gus Harris heavily pushed for the subway to be extended instead, despite costs Scarborough Town Centre would be developed to something bigger than today 1985: KIPLING SUBWAY EXTENSION: Islington to Kipling Via CPKC Galt Subdivision Built alongside a new Kipling yard 1990: DUFFERIN RELIEF SUBWAY EXTENSION: St Clair West to Wilson Humewood renamed to St Clair West Extension of University Subway via Cedarvale Ravine, Vaughan, and Dufferin TBMs used in the ravine and under Vaughan, cut and cover used on Dufferin Built to provide relief on the heavily congested Yonge Line 1993: YONGE NORTH SUBWAY EXTENSION PHASE 2: Sheppard to Steeles Via Yonge Built using cut and cover Created alongside the North York Centre development Most likely wasn’t going to happen, but Mel Lastman convinced the city to build it 1995: BAY STREETCAR TUNNEL: City Hall to Queens Quay Via Bay Used cut and cover Constructed alongside Harbourfront redevelopment 1 route Harbourfront: City Hall to Queens Quay and Spadina Loop Via Bay streetcar tunnel, and side running ROW on Queens Quay 1997: SPADINA STREETCAR: Queens Quay and Spadina to Dupont station Extension of Harbourfront streetcar via Spadina and Dupont Used median ROW Harbourfront is replaced by Spadina Included cut and cover platforms at Spadina station (intersection Queen + Spadina) 1998: YORK SUBWAY: Dundas West to York Centre Used heavy rail subway trains Via CN Guelph Subdivision Built alongside development of the York Civic Centre around the Eglinton and Black Creek Drive area Southern tailtracks at Dundas West align for a possible Bloor Subway 2001: HARBOURFRONT STREETCAR: Queens Quay and Spadina to Exhibition Loop New route in Bay streetcar tunnel via Queens Quay, Fleet, and Manitoba Used median ROW 2003: WESTON SUBWAY EXTENSION: York Centre to Weston Extension of York Line via CN Guelph Subdivision Built to serve transit desert of Weston and serve the busy Dixon bus Unplanned phase to extend line to Pearson Airport and replace Dixon bus 2010: BLOOR SUBWAY EXTENSION: Dundas West to Yonge Extension of York Line via Bloor Used TBMs Built due to the Bloor streetcar being severely overcapacity Severely delayed and over budget, causing transit expansion to become heavily politicized and the province to plan all rapid transit construction in Toronto from now on 2017: DOWNSVIEW SUBWAY EXTENSION: Wilson to Downsview Extension of University Line via Belfort, Hanover, and CN Newmarket Subdivision Used cut and cover under roads, caverns under airport, at grade along Newmarket Sub until Downsview station First ever provincial extension, originally planned to open 2014-2015, but province was new to making subways, creating problems, making a learning opportunity Positioned for a possible Vaughan subway extension 2020: EGLINTON SUBWAY PHASE 1: Eglinton-Yonge to Kennedy Eglinton renamed to Eglinton-Yonge Via Eglinton TBM from Eglinton-Yonge to Laird, at grade no crossing Laird to Don Mills with stop at Leslie, guideway from Don Mills to Kennedy Originally going to be an LRT, but thanks to persuasion from Rob Ford, made a subway. 2024: EGLINTON SUBWAY PHASE 2: Eglinton-Yonge to York Centre Extension of Eglinton Subway via Eglinton TBM from Yonge to Keele, guideway into York Centre 2026: SHEPPARD LRT Sheppard-Yonge to Sullivan Via Sheppard Cut and cover at Sheppard Yonge until Kenneth portal, and continuing on street until Oriole station which was elevated slightly to provide a better connection to the GO station, and continuing on street until Shaughmessy portal and going cut and cover until Herons Hill portal and continuing on street until terminus at Sullivan Built to relieve the previous 85 Sheppard East bus