TTC’s Downsview Station becomes Sheppard West

Starting May 7, TTC’s Downsview Station will be renamed Sheppard West Station in advance of the opening of the Line 1 extension to York Region later this year. Customers will begin to see “Sheppard West” on signs and maps over the course of the next few weeks as the transition takes place.

The name change is being made to accommodate the new Downsview Park Station, located inside Parc Downsview Park. Use of “West” on stations with street names is commonplace on the system, making this change consistent with current practice.

Among the items being changed or revised for the name change:

• 30 signs in and around Downsview Station
• 123 destination signs in other TTC stations
• 161 platform ‘You Are Here’ maps in stations
• 3,184 maps on subway trains
• 4,000 maps in transit shelters
• 250,000 Ride Guides

Changes also have to be made to passenger information systems and announcements in trains as well as the TTC’s back-of-house and service planning systems, and the Transit Control Centre.

The name change will cost approximately $800,000, the majority of which ($600,000) is related to the reprogramming of Bombardier’s proprietary announcement system on the Toronto Rocket subways. That reprogramming includes both this name change and the addition of the six new station announcements that will be needed when the full extension to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre opens.

The TTC thanks customers for their patience during this transition period.