Mechanical-related congestion at Toronto’s Union Station made worse by strike, Metrolinx says

TORONTO — Metrolinx says congestion at Toronto’s Union Station from a switch issue is being compounded by striking electrical workers.

Spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins says that while the switch problem in the Union Station Rail Corridor itself has been fixed, the resulting congestion has caused delays and some cancellations of service.

The mechanical issue comes as 95 workers with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers are on strike after the union and Toronto Terminals Railway failed to reach an agreement by 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Aikins says the congestion is somewhat related to the strike as the labour disruption is making it more difficult to manage the rail corridor.

She says Metrolinx is hopeful that the backlog, which caused delays and some cancellations on the Lakeshore East and West routes as well as the Stouffville lines, will be cleared by early afternoon.

The striking workers are mainly responsible for signals and communication maintenance as well as train control on the Union Station rail corridor.