GTA public transit service slowly returns to normal after flooding

TORONTO – Commuters across the Greater Toronto Area will have a slightly easier time getting to work this morning as GO Transit and Toronto Transit Commission services slowly return to normal after a severe flash flood on Monday.

TTC service to Kipling Station resumed just before noon on Wednesday. The Etobicoke station had been severely flooded during Monday’s storm.

GO Train service on the Lakeshore West and Richmond Hill routes are operating as usual after crews completed repair work due to flooded tracks.

And the Milton service route reopened Wednesday afternoon. It had been temporarily closed and was not serving Kipling GO during the morning’s commute.

GO Transit is also reminding commuters to give yourself some extra travel time as the trains move slowly through the newly repaired areas.

Almost 1,400 people were rescued by boat from a GO Train early Tuesday after being stranded nearly seven hours in flood waters shortly after leaving Union Station Monday.

Late Tuesday, Minister of Transportation Glen Murray issued a video statement to those who were stuck on the train.

“To all of the folks who were on the Richmond Hill line, thank you so much for your kindness, your courage and your generosity,” Murray said.

The GTA received a record 126 millimetres of rain through Monday evening and into early Tuesday, setting an all-time one-day rainfall record.

Many highways and city streets in the city and surrounding communities were also flooded during the evening hours.

City and hydro officials are asking Torontonians to ease up on power use to help take pressure off the city’s struggling grid.

As of 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Toronto Hydro says approximately 16,000 customers still remain without power in west-end Toronto.

Officials warn rotating outages may start again during the morning.