[Admiral Beez]

You obviously skipped the VIA concourse!

I think the entire station rebuild project skipped the VIA concourse. The GO concourse gets tall ceilings and modern glass enclosed stairs up to the platform. The VIA concourse is low ceilinged and dark. We should have excavated a deeper floor for the VIA concourse.

 

[Richard White]

I think the entire station rebuild project skipped the VIA concourse. The GO concourse gets tall ceilings and modern glass enclosed stairs up to the platform. The VIA concourse is low ceilinged and dark. We should have excavated a deeper floor for the VIA concourse.

You can't do much. The via concourse supports the train shed

 

[Northern Light]

I think the entire station rebuild project skipped the VIA concourse. The GO concourse gets tall ceilings and modern glass enclosed stairs up to the platform. The VIA concourse is low ceilinged and dark. We should have excavated a deeper floor for the VIA concourse.

The VIA concourse is unattractive, and the lighting harsh, but I wouldn't call it 'dark'.

 

[Admiral Beez]

The VIA concourse is unattractive, and the lighting harsh, but I wouldn't call it 'dark'.

It‘s the low ceilings that give that impression. The contrast between the VIA concourse and GO concourse is so dramatic that one can only be left with the feeling that VIA was the poor relation.

Looking at the two images above one would be shocked to believe they're in the same train station that just underwent an eleven year, $824 million upgrade. The photo on the left must be somewhere else entirely, one might wonder.

 

[DSC]

It‘s the low ceilings that give that impression. The contrast between the GO concourse and VIA concourse is so dramatic that one can only be left with the feeling that VIA was the poor relation.

Yes, both the York & Bay concourses are, essentially. new and are 'airy'. The VIA one is 'original' and the ceiling heights are as they were in 1929 - it does feel restricted (especially if entered from the Great Hall! . Could the lighting be better, yes, can anything be done with the ceiling height, no.

 

[kotsy]

Ah man! You hit me with nostalgia hard when you mentioned Mmmuffins. I remember regularly ordering one of their square shaped, chocolate chip muffins and an orange juice before heading into work. This was back in 2011. I don't work in downtown Toronto anymore, so I never have any reason to really go to Union Station unless to catch a Blue Jays game.

I'm glad to see Union Station get a face lift and brought into the modern era. I was there a couple weeks ago to check it out and it looks great. But another side of me can't help but miss the old Union Station. 70's decor and all. Probably because I have so many memories from spending time at the old Union Station and I probably will not spend nearly as much time at the new Union Station.

To further your 70s nastalgia


Old Bay Concourse @ Union Station by kotsy, on Flickr

 

[Richard White]

To further your 70s nastalgia


Old Bay Concourse @ Union Station by kotsy, on Flickr

Jeez.. those phone booths do take me back.

The only other phone booth I have seen recently is in Oro Station at a Bell Canada Building.

 

[Natika33]

To each their own. I don't mind the old VIA concourse at all - I like the sense of history & how they've brought back the black metal trim around the side areas. I'd take faded 1920s glory over anything 1970s any day, so I'm happy they concentrated on updating Bay and adding to York rather than touching VIA too much.

 

[Admiral Beez]

To each their own. I don't mind the old VIA concourse at all - I like the sense of history & how they've brought back the black metal trim around the side areas. I'd take faded 1920s glory over anything 1970s any day, so I'm happy they concentrated on updating Bay and adding to York rather than touching VIA too much.

It’s a shame we don’t have any terminus stations in Ontario where the indoor concours is at train level, with no underground concours, like Quebec City. I really like these in London, UK such as Paddington.

 

[Natika33]

It’s a shame we don’t have any terminus stations in Ontario where the indoor concours is at train level, with no underground concours, like Quebec City. I really like these in London, UK such as Paddington.

Yes, this has come up on this thread before. I don't have a preference for either type of concourse really. Level-boarding would be nice though.

 

[DSC]

Yes, this has come up on this thread before. I don't have a preference for either type of concourse really. Level-boarding would be nice though.

Agreed, it makes no difference if the platforms are below ground level, at ground level or above ground level and the 'choice' is determined by whether the rail lines entering/leaving the station are buried, raised or at ground level. What is important for users is level boarding!

 

[Willybru21]

I feel like that opening date for the blue restaurant is not accurate, it can’t take 2 years to build a restaurant, right? Also another new restaurant in the market is coming:

 

[Allandale25]

Union Station 'To City' sign harkens back to a simpler, quieter Toronto

The 'To City' sign suggests Toronto is a simple entity. But those who live here know it's a feverish multiplicity of former boroughs and a thousand subjective states, writes Gideon

www.thestar.com

 

[rdaner]

I feel like that opening date for the blue restaurant is not accurate, it can’t take 2 years to build a restaurant, right? Also another new restaurant in the market is coming:View attachment 530276View attachment 530277

I saw on IG that Blue Bovine is opening in Early February.

 

[Willybru21]

I saw on IG that Blue Bovine is opening in Early February.

Yeah someone pointed out to me that they meant winter early 2024 as in January/February, not winter in late 2024 lol