[Natika33]

I sort of agree. If coming from York Street, people will just walk in through the York doors. If coming from the subway, they're going straight into the Bay Street concourse. The only way this gets used is if the former security office becomes a restaurant or bar of some sort with access to the west moat for seating.

edit: Just thought of one other opportunity. If people are coming from York Street and heading to the subway, the west moat would be the most direct route. A TTC sign on the York Street stairs and the entrance to the moat would bring traffic through there.

I missed the moat being open as I used to use it to cut from the subway through half of Union without having to battle as much foot traffic while also being out of the elements. Though I agree - it would be better used if there was something actually there like a restaurant or market.

 

[nightstreak]

I missed the moat being open as I used to use it to cut from the subway through half of Union without having to battle as much foot traffic while also being out of the elements. Though I agree - it would be better used if there was something actually there like a restaurant or market.

Yeah, I can see it now. People coming from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre or from a game at the Rogers Centre would see the TTC sign at the stairs and then by the doors into the moat and that'd be the most direct route from the west.

Essentially the west side version of this:

How far west does the Union Station subway platform go? Would it be feasible to build a second concourse from the west moat?

 

[WB62]

How far west does the Union Station subway platform go? Would it be feasible to build a second concourse from the west moat?

The subway platforms are pretty offset from the rest of the station, around 120 metres from York St:

 

[nightstreak]

The subway platforms are pretty offset from the rest of the station, around 120 metres from York St:

View attachment 670052

Thanks for this. It's more or less where I imagined it. Perhaps in the future, if passenger volumes demand it, the west moat could become a fare paid area with turnstiles near the west entrance to the moat, and then escalators down through the carriageway to platform level. The current access from the moat is kind of clumsy and through narrow doors that clash with people coming down stairs from the sidewalk.

 

[Northern Light]

Thanks for this. It's more or less where I imagined it. Perhaps in the future, if passenger volumes demand it, the west moat could become a fare paid area with turnstiles near the west entrance to the moat, and then escalators down through the carriageway to platform level. The current access from the moat is kind of clumsy and through narrow doors that clash with people coming down stairs from the sidewalk.

The platforms are not below the moat.

The Yonge platform (southerly) is more or less under the sidewalk on the south side of Front; while the University (northerly) platform is under Front St itself.

Just think of the existing station, the access to the platforms is north of the moat, but the Yonge Platform access touches the south wall of the station (moat wall); while the Uni platform access is several meters to the north.

The idea of another set of platform accesses, with additional concourse space has merit

It would have to sit over the tunnel immediately west of the existing platforms, and under Front St.

You would probably have to do it as a cut-and cover excavation of Front, and support it with new pilings on either sides of the tunnels.

The challenges, aside from construction disruption and cost would be the exact entry point from the Moat .... @WB62 could model this out better than I, but I suspect a straight-line would see the new entrance in the carriage way, which is not what you would want, but if you got it further west, there's an extended hallway.

You also have to model the impact on passenger flows inside the main Union Station and the manner of platformer loading for the subway to see what the impact would be.

Probably do-able, likely a net positive, but probably not the highest priority for scarce dollars.

 

[kotsy]

I'm guessing tenants moving into the West moat will eliminate TD's winter roller skating loop.

 

[WB62]

The platforms are not below the moat.

Sorry my graphic does make it appear that way, was in a rush to set it up for the conversation happening

 

[Northern Light]

Sorry my graphic does make it appear that way, I was rushing to make it

No need to apologize, no critique was implied. You do excellent work. I was simply explaining the location for others.

 

[Natika33]

Some info about the revitalization & new concourse from Metrolinx: Newest concourse at Union

 

[Amare]

Some info about the revitalization & new concourse from Metrolinx: Newest concourse at Union

Wow quite the complex undertaking, the engineers and architects did a tremendous job here. Not easy to keep operations going while undertaking a substantial project like this.

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

...it's interesting how this whole project has been about mostly building from the ground down as oppose to up. And the funky engineering that goes into all that.

 

[pesto]

Yea!^ and since you mention funky engineering, here is a timely but brief explanation of how the truck tunnel roof was adjusted to allow for construction of the new concourse:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1952752837705773178

 

[chrisw]

Yea!^ and since you mention funky engineering, here is a timely but brief explanation of how the truck tunnel roof was adjusted to allow for construction of the new concourse:

This is the same video , though it's fair to link it because YT shorts don't preview here and @Natika33 wasn't that detailed about what the video was about.

 

[Civdis]

Question, why do they use ballast for the tracks even when they are built on concrete through the station?

 

[interchange42]

Ballast absorbs and dissipates vibrations from trains moving above, which are heightened during braking and acceleration. It isn't used in our subway tunnels of course, but in the new tunnels, the tracks sit on sleepers that sit on giant rubber pads engineered for the same purpose, all while I suppose keeping dust down in the tunnels. I'm guessing that more than anything at Union Station, it's a sound attenuation measure for the floors below.

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