A day after Toronto transit was besieged by weather-related issues, commuters faced another maddening morning on Tuesday. But this time it was trespassers on the tracks — not snow — that shut down TTC subway service on a large stretch of the Bloor-Danforth line.
Toronto police confirm to CityNews that three people were on the tracks, prompting employees to cut power.
“Officers responded and assisted TTC with locating the individuals, however, they had fled the scene,” a police spokesperson said.
No suspect descriptions were immediately available, police added.
The TTC first tweeted that service was suspended between Broadview and Keele stations at 7:03 a.m.
Line 2 Bloor-Danforth: No service between Broadview and Keele stations while we deal with a trespasser on the tracks.
— TTC Service Alerts (@TTCnotices) January 27, 2026
Commuters wait for shuttle buses near Keele Station on Tuesday morning. Melissa Lopez Martinez/CityNews
C’mon @TTChelps @TTCnotices “tresspasser on the tracks” is completely preventable, no??? Shuttle buses running- no, there are no shuttle buses.. you want people to freeze outside in the minus 20s weather???
— Syndy (@Synderella8) January 27, 2026
The shutdown sent hordes of riders out into frigid temperatures to wait for shuttle buses, with some complaining about long waits for their arrival. The closure lasted over an hour, with the TTC tweeting at 8:14 a.m. that service had fully resumed.
Riders were understandably frustrated, but TTC spokesperson Stuart Green explained to CityNews why a trespasser on the tracks can lead to lengthy delays.
“When a trespasser is reported, we have stop service and cut power,” he said. “We cannot resume until we have confidence they are gone.”
It’s not yet clear how or why the three people ended up on the tracks, or what their intentions were.
Commuters expressed their frustration with the issue, with one calling the trespassers “selfish” for creating an “unbelievable disruption.”
@TTCnotices approaching an hour to deal with a trespasser on the tracks. Unbelievable disruption. Shuttle busses are operating. How selfish of the trespasser causing a delay during morning rush hour. TTC needs better system for dealing with this type of delay.
— B Squared (@thebrodzfather) January 27, 2026
The TTC notes that walking onto the tracks is not only selfish and stupid but also dangerous.
“The rail that powers the subway trains carries 600 volts of electricity, enough to start a fire or cause severe injury or death with the slightest contact,” the transit agency’s website states.
It can also be costly, with fines of up to $5,000 for offenders.
