Editing Line 1 Yonge–University (section)

==History==
===Early proposals===
There were several early proposals to build a subway along or near [[Yonge Street]], many of which involved [[Premetro|running streetcars in a tunnel]]. Here are some of the proposals.
* In 1909, an English company offered to build and operate a subway along Yonge Street from Eglinton Avenue to Front Street. The plan was abandoned because the city would take over public transit in 1921, and the company's franchise would then terminate.<ref name="75yrs" /><ref name="bhist">James Bow, [http://transittoronto.ca/subway/5102.shtml "A History of the Original Yonge Subway"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531044837/https://transittoronto.ca/subway/5102.shtml |date=May 31, 2020 }}, December 8, 2009</ref>
* In 1910, when running for mayor of Toronto, ''[[Toronto Star]]'' co-founder [[Horatio Clarence Hocken|Horatio C. Hocken]] proposed building a "tube" along Yonge Street from north of St. Clair Avenue to Front Street. He dropped the idea after losing that election.<ref name="75yrs" />
* In 1911, a city engineer planned a line from Bay and Front streets to Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue. The electorate rejected the plan.<ref name="75yrs" />
* In 1931, City Controller Hacker proposed a north–south subway running from Avenue Road and St. Clair Avenue south to Front and York streets, making a wide loop via Front, Scott, Victoria and Gerrard streets. The TTC rejected this proposal saying there was insufficient population to justify such a project.<ref name="autogenerated2">James Bow, [http://transittoronto.ca/subway/5101.shtml "Early Subway Proposals"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927031834/https://transittoronto.ca/subway/5101.shtml |date=September 27, 2020 }}, November 10, 2006</ref>
* In 1942, the TTC proposed a north–south line under Bay Street from Union Station to Bloor Street then jogging over to Yonge Street to continue to north of St. Clair Avenue. This idea was rejected in favour of a subway completely along Yonge Street.<ref name="75yrs" />

===Construction===
[[File:Front street excavation.jpg|thumb|left|Subway excavations in front of [[Union Station (Toronto)|Union Station]] (left) on [[Front Street (Toronto)|Front Street]] in 1950]]
[[File:Yonge subway home demolition.png|thumb|left|Homes were expropriated then demolished east of Yonge Street near Summerhill in order to construct a [[cut-and-cover]] tunnel.]]
During [[World War II]], workers travelling from their homes in "northern Toronto" (which would now be considered the downtown core) to the industrial areas to the east and west of the downtown area on Yonge seriously strained the existing road and streetcar networks. There was concern that the expected post-war boom in car ownership would choke the city with traffic. The scheme was first proposed by Toronto Transportation Commission in 1942 to relieve congestion, which was delaying their bus and tram services.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=The Railway Magazine |date=June 1954 |pages=420–425 |editor-first=B.W.C. |editor-last=Cooke |publisher=Tothill Press |location=Westminster |number=638 |volume=100 |title=Yonge Street Subway, Toronto}}</ref> The TTC formed a Rapid Transit Department and studied various solutions between 1942 and 1945.

A plan was put to the voters on January 1, 1946. The plan had two parts. First, it featured a "rapid transit subway" operated with subway trains from Eglinton Avenue to the north as far as [[College Street (Toronto)|College Street]] to the south. The line would continue directly under Yonge and Front Streets to Union Station. Second would be a "surface car subway", diverting streetcar services off Queen Street and Dundas Street. This would run mostly along Queen Street, with each end angling north to reach Dundas Street west of [[Trinity Bellwoods Park|Trinity Park]] to the west and Gerrard Street at Pape Avenue. The route would run directly under Queen Street from University Avenue to Church Street, with the rest off-street.<ref name="editorial">"The Toronto Subway Referendum" (editorial), ''[[Toronto Star|Toronto Daily Star]]'', December 1, 1945, p.&nbsp;6</ref><ref name="referendum-ad">"Rapid Transit for Toronto" (TTC advertisement), ''Toronto Daily Star'', December 12, 1945, p.&nbsp;26</ref> The vote was overwhelmingly in favour, and Toronto City Council approved construction four months later.<ref name="bhist" />

The plebiscite contained the condition that the federal government would subsidize 20 percent of the project. The federal Minister of Reconstruction, [[C. D. Howe|C.D. Howe]], promised federal support in an October 3, 1945, letter. However, the funding fell through over a disagreement about the details of the employment arrangements. A scaled down proposal, about 20 percent smaller, was agreed to in its place. The work along Queen Street was abandoned temporarily, and the original $42.3{{nbsp}}million (${{Formatprice|{{inflation|CA|42300000|1945}}}} in {{Inflation-year|CA}}) was reduced to $28.9{{nbsp}}million (${{Formatprice|{{inflation|CA|28900000|1945}}}} in {{Inflation-year|CA}}) plus $3.5{{nbsp}}million (${{Formatprice|{{inflation|CA|3500000|1945}}}} in {{Inflation-year|CA}}) for rolling stock.<ref name="bhist" /> After a two-year delay due to postwar labour shortages, construction on the new subway did not start until September 8, 1949. A total of {{convert|1.3|m3|cuyd|abbr=off|disp=preunit|million |million }} of material was removed and some {{convert|12700|tonne}} of reinforcing steel and 1.4{{nbsp}}million bags of cement were put into place.<ref name="bhist" /> A roughed-in station was constructed below {{stl|TTC|Queen}} station for a proposed [[Queen subway line|Queen line]], but that line was never built.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://transittoronto.ca/subway/5006.shtml |title=Toronto's Lost Subway Stations |website=transittoronto.ca |date=November 28, 2010 |access-date=February 17, 2012 |archive-date=September 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927031446/https://transittoronto.ca/subway/5006.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:HCRY-Chicago-48.jpg|thumb|The TTC intended the subway to use streetcar-derived trains, like this former [[1–50 series (CTA)|Chicago 'L' train]] preserved at the [[Halton County Radial Railway]].]]
[[File:The Red Rocket.jpg|thumb|The Gloucester ([[G series (Toronto subway)|G-series]]) trains were chosen to be the system's first rolling stock.]]
Service on the Yonge route would be handled by new rolling stock, and the TTC was particularly interested in the [[6000-series (CTA)|Chicago series 6000 cars]], which used trucks, wheels, motors, and drive control technologies that had been developed and perfected on [[PCC streetcar]]s. However, the United States was in the midst of the [[Korean War]] at the time, which had caused a substantial increase in metal prices, thus making the PCC cars too expensive for the TTC. Instead, in November 1951, an order was placed with the [[Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company]] in England for [[G series (Toronto subway)|104 cars]] for $7,800,000 (${{Formatprice|{{inflation|CA|7800000|1951}}}} in {{Inflation-year|CA}}) including spare parts.[[File:Toronto Transit Commission rapid transit logo 1946.svg|thumb|TTC rapid transit logo, 1946, used during the construction of the subway]]
The [[Toronto Subway (typeface)|Toronto Subway typeface]] and TTC logo were also designed during this period. The logo used during the subway's development was designed by mid-century architect [[John C. Parkin]] and chief architect Arthur Keith. Against the wishes of Walter Paterson, the chief engineer, TTC chairman William McBrien and general manager H.C. Patten rejected the design in favour of one that was more similar to the one previously used on TTC vehicles.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bateman |first1=Chris |title=TTC's subway station typeface a font of intrigue |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/toronto/article-ttcs-subway-station-typeface-a-font-of-intrigue/ |website=The Globe and Mail |date=April 13, 2018 |access-date=August 9, 2018 |archive-date=April 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418041403/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/toronto/article-ttcs-subway-station-typeface-a-font-of-intrigue/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Opening===
[[File:T T.C., Yonge St. subway; opening ceremonies outside Davisville station. (16894527259).jpg|thumb|right|The opening ceremonies for the Yonge Street subway line, March 30, 1954]]
After five years of construction, Ontario [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Leslie Frost]] and Toronto [[Mayor of Toronto|Mayor]] [[Allan Lamport]] officially opened the {{Convert|7.4|km|mi|1|adj=on}} long Yonge subway on March 30, 1954. It was the first [[rapid transit|subway]] in Canada.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.railways.incanada.net/candate/candate.htm |work=Colin Churcher's Railway Pages |date=March 17, 2006 |title=Significant dates in Canadian railway history |access-date=March 29, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060424080243/http://www.railways.incanada.net/candate/candate.htm |archive-date=April 24, 2006}}</ref><ref name="Toronto TTC history">{{cite web |author=[[Toronto Transit Commission]] |url=https://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/History/index.jsp |title=History |access-date=February 1, 2017 |archive-date=August 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823115044/http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/History/index.jsp |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="75yrs" />

The original [[Yonge Street]] subway line went from Union subway station near the [[Union Station (Toronto)|namesake railway station]] north to [[Eglinton station]]. Dignitaries, including the premier and the mayor, rode the first train that morning, going north from the yards at [[Davisville station]], and then from Eglinton station south along the entire line. The line was then opened to the public, and that day at 2:30&nbsp;pm, the last streetcar made its final trip along the [[Yonge streetcar line]].<ref name="75yrs">{{cite book |url=http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM553511&R=553511 |title=The TTC story: the first seventy-five years |publisher=[[Dundurn Press]] |first=Mike |last=Filey |date=1996 |pages=67–71, 87–89 |isbn=155002244X |access-date=February 1, 2017 |archive-date=September 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923015637/http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM553511&R=553511 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Operations and extensions from 1954 to 2017===
Trains operated at average speeds of {{Convert|20|mph|km/h|order=flip}}.<ref name="TheStar-1954-03-30">"Traffic authorities from all over world see subway opened", ''Toronto Daily Star'', March 30, 1954, p. 3.</ref> The plan to operate two-car trains during off-peak hours was abandoned in favour of four-car trains, and six-car trains were standard during most periods, with some eight-car trains used during peak periods.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

On February 28, 1963, an extension was added to curve north from Union Station, below [[University Avenue (Toronto)|University Avenue]] and [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] to near [[Bloor Street]], where it turned west to terminate at [[St. George station|St. George and Bloor Street]].<ref name="TTC-2013-Stats">{{cite web |url=http://ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Operating_Statistics/2013.jsp |title=2013 TTC Operating Statistics |publisher=[[Toronto Transit Commission]] |access-date=January 27, 2017 |archive-date=July 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725092951/https://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Operating_Statistics/2013.jsp |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On February 26, 1966, the [[Line 2 Bloor–Danforth|Bloor–Danforth line]] opened, from [[Keele station|Keele]] to [[Woodbine station|Woodbine]]. For six months, as a trial, the Yonge–University line operated as two branches, Eglinton–Keele, and Eglinton–Woodbine. The interline was determined not worthy, and the Yonge–University line was cut back to St. George on September 4, 1966.<ref name=":1" />

[[File:TTCSubwaySign.jpg|thumb|Original-style subway entrance sign in [[Downtown Toronto]] in 2008]]
On June 23, 1969, the University subway service from St. George to Union stations was discontinued entirely after 9:45&nbsp;p.m. from Mondays to Saturdays and all day on Sundays and holidays. The 5B Avenue Road buses run in place between Eglinton and Front Street whenever the University subway did not operate, with side-jaunts to St. George station to capture passengers from the Bloor subway. This arrangement remained in place until January 28, 1978, when the Spadina subway opened north to Wilson Station.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://transittoronto.ca/subway/5103.shtml|title=The University Subway – Transit Toronto – Content|access-date=March 15, 2020|archive-date=October 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013130130/https://transittoronto.ca/subway/5103.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

On March 31, 1973, the line was extended north from {{stl|TTC|Eglinton}} to {{stl|TTC|York Mills}},<ref name="TTC-2013-Stats" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Yonge Subway Extension to York Mills |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |date=March 27, 1973 |volume=130 |issue=38,470 |page=13}}</ref> and on March 29, 1974, to {{stl|TTC|Finch}}.<ref name="TTC-2013-Stats" /> These two extensions were part of the North Yonge Extension project, bringing the subway to North York.{{cn|date=May 2023|reason=Needs a citation for the name "North Yonge Extension Project"}}

Stations were also planned for Glencairn (between Eglinton and Lawrence, though another [[Glencairn station]] would be built later on the Spadina section), Glen Echo (between Lawrence and York Mills) and Empress (between Sheppard and Finch, later opened as [[North York Centre station]]).{{cn|date=May 2023}}

On January 27, 1978, the Spadina segment of the line was opened, going from St. George station, the north terminus of the University line, to [[Wilson station (Toronto)|Wilson station]].<ref name="TTC-2013-Stats" /> From St. George station, the {{Convert|9.9|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} segment ran north and northwest to Eglinton Avenue and [[Allen Road|William R. Allen Road]], then north along the median of the Allen Road to Wilson Avenue. This extension had been proposed as part of the [[Spadina Expressway]], but when the expressway portion south of Eglinton Avenue was [[Highway revolt#Toronto|cancelled after massive protests]], the subway was still built following the route through [[Castle Frank Brook|Cedarvale Ravine]]. Hence, it was called the Spadina line, though it follows [[Spadina Avenue|Spadina Road]] for less than {{Convert|2|km|mi|1|abbr=on}}.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

On June 18, 1987, North York Centre station was added between Sheppard and Finch stations as an infill station to serve the rapidly growing North York City Centre.<ref name="TTC-2013-Stats" />

On August 11, 1995, at 6:02&nbsp;pm, the [[1995 Russell Hill subway accident|Russell Hill subway accident]] occurred as a southbound subway train heading toward [[Dupont station]] crashed under Russell Hill Drive, killing three passengers and sending 30 to hospital.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hall |first=Joseph |url=http://transittoronto.ca/archives/data/200508061136.shtml |newspaper=Toronto Star |title=Ten Years After |date=August 6, 2005 |access-date=February 17, 2012 |archive-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531044841/https://transittoronto.ca/archives/data/200508061136.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> This accident prompted the Toronto Transit Commission to review its practices and put resources into safety.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

On March 31, 1996, the Spadina segment of the line was extended {{Convert|2|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} from Wilson station north to Downsview station (renamed {{stl|TTC|Sheppard West}} in 2017).<ref name="TTC-2013-Stats" />  
[[File:Finch West 2016.JPG|thumb|right|[[Finch West station]] on the [[Toronto–York Spadina subway extension|TYSSE]] under construction in 2016]] 
On November 17, 2016, with the [[Presto card|Presto]] fare gates installed at Eglinton station, all of the stations along the line became Presto-enabled.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=PRESTOcard |number=799287911317381120 |date=November 17, 2016 |title=Eglinton subway station has brand new PRESTO fare gates! All of @TTChelps Line 1 is now PRESTO enabled. #spotPRESTO}}</ref>

On December 17, 2017, the western portion of the line was extended {{Convert|8.6|km|mi|abbr=|adj=}} north to [[Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station]] in [[Regional Municipality of York|York Region]], via [[York University]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 15, 2017 |title=Justin Trudeau joins premier, mayor at TTC line 1 extension opening |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/trudeau-subway-extension-1.4450237 |access-date=September 16, 2023 |website=CBC News}}</ref> The [[Toronto–York Spadina subway extension]] (TYSSE) project built six new stations at a cost of $3.2 billion, with {{Convert|6.2|km|mi|abbr=out}} in Toronto and {{Convert|2.4|km|mi|abbr=out}} in York Region. The TYSSE was the first new section of a subway line to be opened since the opening of [[Line 4 Sheppard]] in 2002.<ref name="G&M-2017-12-14">{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Oliver |last2=Gray |first2=Jeff |date=December 14, 2017 |title=Next stop, Vaughan: Inside the Toronto subway's big move beyond the city limits |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-subway-extension/article37324030/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215035217/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-subway-extension/article37324030/ |archive-date=December 15, 2017 |access-date=December 15, 2017 |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]}}</ref> In the year after the extension opened, most stations on the extension saw below average ridership compared to the rest of the subway system.<ref name="ts121618">{{cite news |last1=Spurr |first1=Ben |title=Two stations on new York subway extension among the least used on the TTC network |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/two-stations-on-new-york-subway-extension-among-the-least-used-on-the-ttc-network/article_ce2e593a-21dc-548a-ba64-2ea4e412c310.html |access-date=November 21, 2024 |work=Toronto Star |date=December 16, 2018}}</ref>