Toronto Subway and RT — Map, Lines, Route, Hours, Tickets

Toronto Subway and RT Information

It is a rapid transit system serving the city of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, and was opened in 1954. It is now the second busiest rail network in Canada after the Montreal Metro. The system is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and consists of both underground and elevated rail lines. The subway and RT together cover 76.8 kilometres of track and serve 69 stations on four lines. The four lines are Bloor-Danforth, Scarborough RT, Sheppard and Yonge-University-Spadina. It is also the largest transit system in Canada in terms of the number of stations.

The Yonge, Canada’s first subway line, was built in 1954. This initial line remains part of the current subway system. The Yonge was originally developed to modernise the transportation infrastructure by replacing an old streetcar line that ran along Yonge Street to meet the demands of an expanding city.

The Bloor-Danforth, now known as Line 2, was created in 1966 after several discussions about expanding the subway lines. Between 1966 and 1980, both the Yonge and Bloor-Danforth lines underwent numerous expansions as they were the only two lines in operation.

Line 3, an elevated railway in the Scarborough area, was introduced in 1985. Although there were plans to convert this line to an underground line, an extension of Line 2 to Scarborough was realised instead, making Line 3 redundant.

In 2002, the newest and shortest subway line, Line 4, was opened, completing the existing network. As the second busiest subway system in the country, Toronto’s subway system continues to be upgraded and expanded. Among the most significant of these projects are the planned construction of Line 5 and the eventual development of Line 6.

The Toronto subway, often referred to simply as the subway, is a bustling hub of activity, carrying an average of 948,100 passengers daily. Operated by the Toronto Transit Commission, the subway isn’t a 24-hour service, but it does operate from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Sundays. The fare for each trip is $3, or about $1.67 in other currencies.

Although the subway has air conditioning to ensure a comfortable journey for its passengers, it does not have certain amenities such as walkways between platforms or platform screen doors. Also, all trains are operated by drivers, so there’s no driverless technology in use.

Toronto Subway and RT Map

Map of Toronto Subway showing different lines and stations. Click on the map to enlarge it or download the Toronto Subway map in PDF format.

Lines and Stations Overview

Toronto’s subway system has four operational lines, with a fifth under construction and expected to be operational by 2021. Three of these lines are predominantly underground, with the exception of Line 3, which is an above-ground service. Each line has a different number, name and colour, although the public tend to refer to them by their names or numbers rather than their colours.

Together, these four lines cover a total of 75 stations over 76.9 kilometres, making Toronto’s subway system the second largest in Canada.

Line 1 Yonge – University

Line 1, the oldest and most used line in Toronto and Canada, is U-shaped. It starts at Finch Avenue in the northeast, heads south to Union Station and loops back north to Vaughan Metro Centre, also in the northeast.

Line Colour: Yellow
Line Number: 1
Line Name: Yonge University
Number of Stops: 38
Track Length: 38.8 kilometers
End-to-End Travel Time: 81 minutes
Operating Hours: 6:00 am to 1:30 am from Monday to Saturday; 8:00 am to 1:30 am on Sundays

Stations: Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, Highway 407, Pioneer Village, York University, Finch West, Downsview Park, Sheppard West, Wilson, Yorkdale, Lawrence West, Glencairn, Eglinton West, St Clair West, Dupont, Spadina, St George, Museum, Queen’s Park, St Patrick, Osgoode, St Andrew, Union, King, Queen, Dundas, College, Wellesley, Bloor-Yonge, Rosedale, Summerhill, St Clair, Davisville, Eglinton, Lawrence, York Mills, Sheppard-Yonge, North York Centre, Finch

Line 2 Bloor – Danforth

Line 2 crosses Toronto from east to west, starting at Kipling Station, running through the heart of Toronto and ending at Kennedy Station. Kennedy Station provides connections to Line 3 and will also connect to Line 5 when it is completed.

Line Colour: Green
Line Number: 2
Line Name: Bloor – Danforth
Number of Stops: 31
Track Length: 26.2 kilometers
End-to-End Travel Time: 50 minutes
Operating Hours: 6:30 am to 1:30 am from Monday to Saturday; 8:00 am to 1:30 am on Sundays

Stations: Kipling, Islington, Royal York, Old Mill, Jane, Runnymede, High Park, Keele, Dundas West, Lansdowne, Dufferin, Ossington, Christie, Bathurst, Spadina, St George, Bay, Bloor-Yonge, Sherbourne, Castle Frank, Broadview, Chester, Pape, Donlands, Greenwood, Coxwell, Woodbine, Main Street, Victoria Park, Warden, Kennedy

Line 3 – Scarborough

Line 3 is unique in that it is predominantly an overground service, covering a distance of 6.4 kilometres. The line starts at McCowan Station and extends to Kennedy Station, providing connections to Line 2 and eventually Line 5. Notably, Line 3 does not extend beyond the Scarborough district.

Line Colour: Blue
Line Number: 3
Line Name: Scarborough
Number of Stops: 6
Track Length: 6.4 kilometers
End-to-End Travel Time: 13 minutes
Operating Hours: 6:30 am to 1:30 am from Monday to Saturday; 8:00 am to 1:30 am on Sundays

Stations: Kennedy, Lawrence East, Ellesmere, Midland, Scarborough Centre, McCowan

Line 4 – Sheppard

Line 4, the newest and shortest line in the Toronto subway system, is only 5.5 kilometres long. The line traverses the North York neighbourhood from east to west, starting at Don Mills Station and ending at Sheppard-Yonge, where it intersects with Line 1. A unique feature of this line are the murals painted on the walls of each station.

Line Colour: Purple
Line Number: 4
Line Name: Sheppard
Number of Stops: 5
Track Length: 5.5 kilometers
End-to-End Travel Time: 10 minutes
Operating Hours: 6:30 am to 1:30 am from Monday to Saturday; 8:00 am to 1:30 am on Sundays

Stations: Sheppard-Yonge, Bayview, Bessarion, Leslie, Don Mills

Schedules and Frequency

Toronto’s four subway lines operate from 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Sundays and holidays. Although the subway operates year-round, the lines start later, at 9:00 a.m., on December 25 and January 1. There may also be changes to the regular timetable on other public holidays.

The opening hours of the stations along the lines are as follows:

Monday to Friday: 5:45 am – 2:40 am
Saturdays and holidays: 5:35 am – 2:25 am
Sundays: 7:45 am – 2:30 am

All lines have the same frequency of train arrivals. Trains arrive every 2-3 minutes during rush hour and every 4-5 minutes during the rest of the day. Frequency may be reduced towards the end of the day and on Sundays.

Interchanges

Inter-line Connections

Transfers between lines are free, provided you do not leave the station.

Connections between Lines 1 and 2: The lines cross at Spadina, St. George and Bloor/Yonge stations.
Connections between Lines 1 and 3: These two lines do not connect.
Connections between Lines 1 and 4: These two lines intersect at Sheppard/Yonge stations.
Connections between Lines 2 and 3: These two lines intersect at Kennedy Station.
Connections between Lines 2 and 4: There are no connections between these two lines.
Connections between Lines 3 and 4: These two lines do not connect.

Connections with Other Systems

The Toronto subway system is seamlessly integrated with the city’s other transit services, as they are all managed by the same agency. Transfers between services are free as long as they’re part of the paid trip. An unlimited pass is required for return journeys.

Ticket transfers are free of charge but are not included in the initial ticket purchase. To transfer your ticket, you will need to present a transfer form, which can be obtained from your driver when you purchase or present a ticket on buses and trams. These forms can also be printed from red kiosks at metro stations.

Fares, Tickets, and Passes

Tickets and passes can be purchased at ticket offices at all stations, at certain vending machines, directly from the driver on trams and buses, or at any vending machine displaying the TTC logo. There are three ways to pay for your trips: you can buy tokens, individual tickets or use a PRESTO card.

Tokens and Tickets

Single ticket price: C$3.25 (US$2.50)
Students and seniors (65+ years old): C$2.10 (US$1.64)

This ticket is for a one-way journey including transfers. Longer stops are not permitted and the ticket is not valid for return journeys.

Tokens: C$3 (US$2.30)

Students and seniors (65+ years old): C$2.05 (US$1.61)

Tokens can be purchased from machines in most stations, which only accept cash. Journeys using tokens are cheaper than buying individual tickets, but a minimum of 3 tokens must be purchased at any one time. Tokens are also available in packs of five.

PRESTO Card

The PRESTO card is an electronic card that can be loaded with passes or tickets. The card costs C$6.00 (US$4.70) and each trip made with the card costs C$3.00 (US$2.30). The PRESTO card can be purchased and loaded online at www.prestocard.ca or at PRESTO vending machines in subway stations.

Travel Passes

Day Pass

C$12.50 (US$8.78)

The Day Pass provides unlimited travel on all systems of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It’s valid from the day of purchase until 5:30 a.m. the following day.

Weekly Pass

General: C$43.75 (US$34.00)
Students and Seniors (65+ years old): C$34.74 (US$27.20)

The Weekly Travelcard offers unlimited travel from Monday to Friday during the week of purchase.

Monthly Pass

General: C$146.25(US$114.56)
Students or Seniors (65+ years old): C$116.75 (US$91.33)

The Monthly Pass allows unrestricted travel from the first to the last day of the month. This pass can be purchased from the 24th day of the previous month.

Park & Ride Facilities

The TTC provides parking at 17 different stations. Parking may be free or chargeable, depending on the time of day. Parking conditions and rates vary, but generally parking is charged from 5:00 am to 2:00 am, Monday to Friday. Some stations offer free parking at weekends and on public holidays. Although parking times vary from station to station, all-day parking (5:00-2:00) is not permitted.

Parking rates can vary, but are typically C$2.00 (US$1.56) between 3:00 pm and 2:00 am and C$7.00 (US$5.48) per day. Payment methods include cash and cards (VISA, Mastercard and American Express). Some stations use a ‘Mobile Pay’ app that allows you to reserve and pay for parking online.

Park & Ride facilities are available at the following stations Don Mills, Ellesmere, Finch, Finch West, Highway 407, Islington, Keele, Kennedy, Kipling, Lawrence East, Leslie, Pioneer Village, Sheppard West, Victoria Park, Warden, Wilson and Yorkdale.

Guidelines, Notifications, and Recommendations

All transfers are free of charge, but you will need to show a ‘Transfer Paper’. This can be obtained from bus or tram drivers or printed from RED BOXES at subway stations.
Children under the age of twelve travel free on the entire TTC system.
The official TTC website has a journey planner to help you plan your trip and find the best routes.
Always have proof of payment for your ticket and transfer paper (if required).

Interesting Facts

Toronto’s subway system is the second busiest in Canada.
It’s also the longest subway system in the country, surpassed only by the Vancouver SkyTrain.
All stations have Wi-Fi connectivity.

Planned Developments

Toronto’s subway system is currently being expanded with the construction of a fifth line known as the Eglintonse. This new line will consist of 25 stations, 15 of which will be underground. It will run from east to west, mirroring Line 2, starting at Kennedy Station and ending at Mount Dennis West. Line 5 is expected to be operational by 2021.

While Line 5 is the only ongoing construction project, several other plans have been approved and are in the final stages. For example, Line 6 is planned to connect Finch West to Humber College in the west.

Discussions are underway about the possible decommissioning of Line 3 and an extension of Line 2 to compensate for the affected area.

Airport Connections

Toronto has two major airports; Toronto Pearson International Airport and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Due to their location in the city, it’s possible to get to both airports using a single ticket for all modes of transportation.

Directions to Toronto Pearson International Airport

There are several ways to get to this airport as there isn’t a direct metro line. The journey usually involves taking a metro to a bus station, from where a bus will take you directly to your terminal.

192 Airport Rocket: Take the number 2 line and get off at Kipling Station. Then take the 192 bus, which takes approximately 20-25 minutes to reach the airport. This bus runs Monday to Saturday from 5:30am to 2:00am and Sunday from 8:15am to 2:15am.
52A Lawrence West: Take the #1 bus to Lawrence or Lawrence West, then transfer to the #52A bus. Travel time to the airport is approximately 90 minutes during rush hour and 70 minutes at other times. This service is available daily from 5:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
300A Bloor-Danforth: This is the only route available daily between 2:00am and 5:00am. This service boards at Bloor-Danforth and is approximately 45 minutes from the airport.

Directions to Billy Bishop Airport

There isn’t a direct metro line to this airport, but it can be reached via the metro system to tram stops.

From Union Station: Take line 1 to Union Station, then transfer to tram #509 Harbourfront.
From Bathurst Station: Take line 2 to Bathurst Station and transfer to tram #511 Bathurst.

Sights to See Along the Subway

CN Tower: Formerly the world’s tallest building, the CN Tower stands at 553,333 metres. Its transparent floors offer a unique perspective of its height and breathtaking views of the city. It’s a 10-minute ride from Union Station on Line 1.

The Distillery District: Located in the Old Town, this district exudes Victorian charm with beautifully restored buildings, boutiques and restaurants. It’s a 10 minute walk from Queen Station on Line 1, or you can take the 501 tram from Queen Station. The tram ride is included in your ticket and is a free alternative to walking.

Saint Lawrence Market: Established in 1803, the market operates from buildings built in 1850 and is divided into three sections, each specialising in a particular product. It’s a great place to explore local produce and food. Lawrence Station on Line 1 is a short five minute walk away.