Kipling Station
Kipling is the western terminus station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto. It is the westernmost station in the system. It is located on St. Albans Road at Aukland Road, near 5247 Dundas Street West at its more westerly intersection with Bloor Street West, and near Kipling Avenue. It opened in 1980 (in what was then the Borough of Etobicoke), along with Kennedy station on the other end of the line, as part of the east-west extensions. Kipling connects with GO Transit's Kipling station on the Milton line.
The station is designed around commuter travel, as it is the terminus of the line, and there is little density in the area. The station is also underneath power lines, and is near a hydro substation. This provides space for parking (1300 spaces) and other amenities such as a ‘Kiss & Ride’ passenger pick up/drop off area. Space was provided on the station’s bus level for a connecting rapid transit line similar to the original concept for the Scarborough RT, but an empty track bed and platform at the south end of the bus level is all that was built. One of two bus lines that provide regular service to Toronto Pearson International Airport originates from this station.
The station is at ground level. For most of the way east to the next station (Islington) the line continues on the surface, alongside the railway right-of-way, paralleling Dundas Street at a distance. After crossing over Bloor Street to the north side, it turns somewhat to the right to take up the normal alignment parallel to Bloor. At this point the line goes underground.
Residential and commercial developments are replacing some of the previous land uses, namely light industrial/commercial, and a former parochial high school.
A third tunnel structure exists on the north side of the station. This was to be the entrance into a subway yard that the TTC were considering building at the time.[1] There is a gravel bed trailing out eastward from the end of the tracks west of the station, likely meant for an extension of the line. There are no tracks laid on this section and it remains unused.
Construction on a new 14-bay interregional bus terminal is scheduled to be completed in 2010. This would see GO Transit buses use the facility, and Mississauga Transit buses terminate at Kipling station instead of Islington as they currently do. The current parking facilities will be reconfigured to allow for the construction of the terminal.[2]