Dupont (Toronto Subway)
Dupont is an underground subway station in Toronto . It lies on the Yonge-University line of the Toronto Subway , at the corner of Spadina Road and Dupont Street. The station has side platforms and is used by an average of 16,140 passengers every day (2015). Nearby are the Casa Loma and the Spadina House . There are transfer options to two bus routes. The most serious accident to date on the subway network occurred near the station in 1995.
Architecture and art
The architecture firm Dunlop, Farrow & Aitkin was responsible for the design of the station . The two entrances on Dupont Street and Spadina Road present themselves as glass “bubbles” that are framed by an orange-colored metal latticework. Based on this appearance, the sculptor Ron Baird created round, interlocking doors that provide access to the hidden substation and give the impression of monumental portals.
The interior of the station stands out from all others through the use of round surfaces and shapes. The walls are covered with orange ceramic tiles. The benches on the platforms are also unique, on the one hand due to their roundness and on the other hand due to the use of the same tiles as on the walls. Overall, the design language and the coloring create the impression of a natural cave. Using thousands of small pieces of glass, James Sutherland created two large, colorful floral mosaics called Spadina Summer Under All Seasons , based on the botanical illustrations by Georgia O'Keeffe, directly on the tiles . They are located on both sides of the platform level and reach up to the distribution level, which is decorated with smaller flower mosaics.
history
At this point, the underground station was originally supposed to be in the median of the planned Spadina Expressway city motorway . After protests from residents, the provincial government decided in 1971 to only support the construction of the subway south of the then city limits (not far from the Eglinton West station ) and not to complete the expressway to the city center as planned. The elimination of the city motorway meant that the subway route was built in a tunnel. The opening took place on January 28, 1978.
In the tunnel under Russell Hill north of Dupont station, the most serious accident in the history of the Toronto subway occurred . On August 11, 1995, just after six o'clock in the evening, a moving train crashed into a stationary one. Three people were killed and 30 others were injured, some seriously. The causes were, on the one hand, human error and, on the other hand, a design error in a mechanical safety device. The driver misinterpreted a signal that was easily misunderstood and continued to drive at full speed instead of braking. At the same time, an emergency braking device that should have been triggered in such a case failed. After the accident, the route was closed for five days.
In their report, the investigating authorities made 18 recommendations for improving safety regulations. Based on these recommendations, the Toronto Transit Commission created a 236-point checklist and then reviewed its implementation annually. In August 2009 there were only two issues left that concern a speed control system (this system was then in the implementation phase).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Subway ridership, 2015. (PDF; 84 kB) Toronto Transit Commission, accessed December 7, 2017 (English).
- ^ Dupont in Wonderland. Spacing Magazine, 2006, accessed July 30, 2010 .
- ↑ a b The Spadina Subway. Transit Toronto, April 24, 2008, accessed July 30, 2010 .
- ^ Art on the TTC. Transit Toronto, March 17, 2010, accessed July 30, 2010 .
- ↑ Ten years after. Transit Toronto, August 6, 2005, accessed July 30, 2010 .
- ^ Due Diligence Checklist Russell Hill train accident. (PDF, 134 KB) Toronto Transit Commission, August 7, 2009, accessed July 30, 2010 .
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 Yonge University Line
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Coordinates: 43 ° 40 ′ 29.4 " N , 79 ° 24 ′ 25.5" W.