TTC fires back at complaints about the deplorable state of subway stations

The current state of some TTC subway stations has triggered a backlash on social media, but the transit agency is reminding disgruntled commuters that the current mess is for everyone’s benefit.

Over 150 commenters chimed in on a post to X (formerly Twitter) just before the Labour Day long weekend, showing a dreadfully ugly-looking situation at the platform level of the once-beautiful Queen’s Park Station.

The post, captioned with a plea to increase the TTC’s funding, shows the station’s tube-shaped walls stripped down to their structural elements as vile-looking rust residue drips down remaining panels, staining the platform’s terrazzo flooring.

Commenters piled on with criticism of the TTC, the City and the provincial government for the current state of Queen’s Park and other stations on this portion of Line 1, like St. Patrick one stop south.

“Walls weren’t in the budget this year,” joked one user.

While many rushed to judgment, the official TTC Customer Service X account commented on the thread to inform angry commuters that, while the photos appear to show disrepair, they actually show active repairs in process.

The transit agency account directed the public to a page on the ongoing tile and panel replacements being undertaken as part of station improvements and maintenance.

“The reason it looks like this is BECAUSE we have money for important capital work,” wrote the TTC Customer Service account.

The account added, “I believe it was one of the property twins who said ‘renovating ain’t pretty’….or something to that effect.”

However, even with that explanation, many argued that the execution of the ongoing upgrades has left much to be desired.

The project to replace finishes at 24 different subway stations has been ongoing for over a year since its August 2023 start and, according to the transit agency, is scheduled to continue “until further notice.”