Ellesmere

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Subway Related Properties Page

Text by James Bow

See Also

Station Fixation - Ellesmere, by Nathan Ng.
VIDEO: Station Walkthrough, by Damian Baranowski.

Ellesmere station is a station on the SCARBOROUGH RT between Midland station and Lawrence East. It is the northernmost station on the route’s at-grade section. North of the station, the tracks descend into a tunnel beneath Metrolinx’s Uxbridge subdivision before curving east, rising to the surface and then onto an elevated structure west of Ellesmere station.

Ellesmere station is infamous as the least-used station on the TTC’s subway and RT network. In 2014, it served just 1,410 passengers on an average weekday, almost a thousand less than the next lowest-patroned station, Bessarion on the SHEPPARD subway (2,380). Though low, the number is an increase of 270 passengers per weekday from 2012, a sign that new developments in the area have sparked additional traffic.

Ellesmere station opened with the rest of the line on March 24, 1985 and shares the steel-and-glass architectural style of other stations on the line, save for Kennedy. The station sits at-grade, next to the Uxbridge subdivision, and beneath the Ellesmere Road bridge over the tracks. Passengers wishing to reach the station from Ellesmere Road have to descend one of two service roads connecting to Ellesmere Road at either end of the bridge to exits at the station.

Unlike Lawrence East station, there is no bus terminal at Ellesmere to provide an transfer-free connection to the 95 YORK MILLS bus. This was a victim of budget cuts as the line was being built. The TTC drew up plans to build a mezzanine above the station building, with stairs leading to the street at the bridge, providing a more direct connection to 95 YORK MILLS buses. However, budget pressures meant that Ellesmere station had entered into a catch-22: it had insufficient riders to justify the construction expense, and was unlikely to get them without the additional construction.

The TTC did take advantage of its spacious industrial surroundings to add parking east of the station, between it and the service road, providing 68 spaces between 5 a.m. and 2 a.m. every day. On September 1, 2013, the TTC extended a rush-hour branch of its 95 YORK MILLS route to loop in the western service road, providing a more direct connection to the station for a handful of buses.

In 2009, as the TTC and Metrolinx planned to upgrade and extend the SCARBOROUGH RT into an LRT line reaching further northeast into Scarborough, Ellesmere station was to be retained. As that plan was cancelled in favour of a proposed extension of the BLOOR-DANFORTH subway, the station was slated for eventual abandonment. The proposed subway extension follows a different alignment, with no intermediate stops between Kennedy and Scarborough Centre stations. Proposals from Toronto’s SmartTrak and Metrolinx’s Regional Express Rail suggest upgrading the Stouffville GO train to frequent operation using electric trains, with stops at Lawrence and Ellesmere, but concrete plans for the replacement of Ellesmere station remain in the future, and the station itself remains in quiet limbo.

Trivia

Ellesmere station was the site of a historic moment in the construction of the Scarborough RT. After months of testing, ICTS car-builder UTDC delivered RT cars #3002 and 3003 from its its Millhaven plant to the site of Ellesmere station via the Uxbridge sub on April 16, 1984. After a ceremony for the press and dignitaries, they were officially unloaded onto the Scarborough RT rails at 11:30 a.m., and made a short run under their own power the next day. Further tests were made on the system as more cars arrived to the Ellesmere station site. Finally, on September 28, vehicle deliveries were made to the newly built McCowan Yard instead of the temporary unloading facilities at Ellesmere station.
Sometime after April 2015, the TTC did some minor renovation work on the station, installing Presto gates, and also covering over most of the windows with a translucent film, robbing passengers of the view from the outside.

Service Notes (as of date before Scarborough RT Shutdown, July 23, 2023):

Off-Site Resources
- The official TTC Ellesmere Page
- Station Fixation - Ellesmere, by Nathan Ng.
- VIDEO: Station Walkthrough, by Damian Baranowski.
Line: 3 SCARBOROUGH RT
Address: 1025 Ellesmere Road
Opened: March 24, 1985
Average Weekday Ridership: 1,410 (2014); 1,140 (2013)
Hours of Operation:
First Train to Kennedy: 5:50 a.m. weekdays, 5:54 a.m. Saturdays/holidays, 8:03 a.m. Sundays.
First Train to McCowan: 6:07 a.m. weekdays, 6:09 a.m. Saturdays/holidays, 8:18 a.m. Sundays Last Train to Kennedy: 1:22 a.m. every day. Last Train to McCowan: 1:37 a.m. every day
Entrances:
- West side, accessed from Kennedy Road along the north side of Ellesmere Road, following the curved sidewalk for 343 metres into the western service road and continuing east for 50 metres on the path to the entrance, and then down a flight of stairs.
- East side, accessed from Midland Avenue along the north side of Ellesmere Road, following the sidewalk for 124 metres into the eastern service road for another 22 metres, and then continue west for 187 metres. Follow another bend in the sidewalk southward for 34 metres and continue west for 34 metres on a path towards the entrance, then proceed down a flight of stairs to reach the entrance
Elevators: None
Escalators: None
Parking: 68 spaces in lot to the east of the station, accessed via eastern service road.
Not wheelchair accessible
No in-station washrooms
Two side platforms

TTC Surface Route Connections:

95 YORK MILLS (On-street transfer)
996 WILSON EXPRESS (On-street transfer)

Ellesmere Station Image Archive

	This image, from the 1976 report entitled _Scarborough Town Centre Light Rail Transit Functional Design Alternatives' Volume 7_ from the Metropolitan Toronto Planning Department, shows a concept for Ellesmere station on the Scarborough LRT. The tracks would have crossed Ellesmere Road at grade, and the station would be a simpler, open platform design. Image courtesy Nathan Ng's Station Fixation web site.
	Ellesmere station's exterior, looking northeast, taken for the Toronto Archives on February 7, 1985. Image courtesy Nathan Ng's Station Fixation web site.
	A view of the Ellesmere station building, looking southeast, taken for the Toronto Archives on April 23, 1985. Image courtesy Nathan Ng's Station Fixation web site.
	A view of Ellesmere station's platforms, looking north, taken for the Toronto Archives on April 30, 1985. Image courtesy Nathan Ng's Station Fixation web site.
	An aerial image of Ellesmere station and vicinity, looking northeast, taken for the Toronto Archives circa 2008. Image courtesy Nathan Ng's Station Fixation web site.
	A view of the Ellesmere station building, seen from the eastern service road, looking west. This shot was taken by James Bow on Marcy 7, 2011.
	A view of the Ellesmere station building from across the parking lot, looking west. Photo taken by James Bow on March 7, 2011.
	A view down the eastern stairs into the entrance of Ellesmere station, taken on March 7, 2011. Photo by James Bow.
	Stepping back from the steps, this provides a better view of the whole eastern entrance. This shot was taken on February 23, 2013 by James Bow.
	TTC 95 YORK MILLS buses lay over on the western service road at the entrance to Ellesmere station on February 25, 2014. Photo by James Bow.
	A northbound Stouffville GO train passes Ellesmere Station's northbound platform on the afternoon of February 25, 2014. Photo by James Bow.
	A view of the platforms of Ellesmere station, looking north towards the line's tunnel. This photo was taken by James Bow on April 2, 2015.
	A reconditioned Scarborough RT car #3022 brings up the rear of a northbound train departing Ellesmere station on April 2, 2015. Photo by James Bow.