Dupont is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway

Toronto subway and RT

The Toronto subway and RT is a rapid transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of both underground and elevated railway lines, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . It was Canada's first completed subway system, with the first line being built under Yonge Street, which opened in...

 in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It is located on Spadina Road at 278 Dupont Street.

Dupont is one of the few TTC stations where it is possible to view an adjacent station by looking down the tunnel. The tunnel south to Spadina

Spadina (TTC)

Spadina is a station on the Yonge-University-Spadina and Bloor-Danforth lines of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Out of all the interchange stations, this one is the least-used with approximately 47,570 people using both platforms each day...

 is relatively short and straight, and Spadina is visible from the northbound Dupont platform.

History

The station opened in 1978, as part of the subway line extension from St. George

St. George (TTC)

St. George is a station on the Yonge-University-Spadina and Bloor-Danforth lines of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 323 Bloor Street West at St. George Street. This is the second busiest station, after Bloor-Yonge Station, serving a combined total of approximately ...

 to Wilson

Wilson (TTC)

Wilson is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the median of Allen Road at 570 Wilson Avenue.2257 parking spaces surround the station in four commuter lots.-History:...

 Station.

The 1995 Russell Hill subway incident happened just north of the station on the southbound line on August 11, 1995. Three people were killed and 30 were taken into the hospital with injuries when one train rear-ended another train. The subway line was shut down for five days following the collision accident. Investigations found that human error and a design flaw in the mechanical safety devices caused this accident.

On 1 June 2006, at 9:30 ET, a metal inspection cover in the bottom of a train inside the station dislodged and wedged in the third rail

Third rail

A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...

. This filled the station with smoke, and forcing the evacuation of the station. The section between St. Clair West and St. George Stations was closed for approximately one hour, forcing the use of shuttle buses within that section. Some believed the incident to have resulted from sabotage

Sabotage

Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...

 by TTC personnel, as TTC workers had commenced a wildcat strike on May 29; this possibility was discarded by the Toronto Police.

Architecture and art

Dupont Station was designed by Dunlop-Farrow Architects. The station's two entrances at Dupont Street and Spadina Road are glass "bubbles" framed with orange-painted metal. The station has no bus platforms. Ron Baird designed distinctive circular, interlocking doors which provide maintenance access to a concealed electrical substation.

The station is unique in its motif of rounded surfaces and finishes. Interior walls are clad with orange tiles. Some of the platform benches are unique to the station, being also rounded and clad with the same small tiles as the walls. The overall effect of the interior's rounded surfaces and colour scheme is of an earthly cavern.

In terms of artwork, the station contains murals by James Sutherland, entitled Spadina Summer Under All Seasons. Using thousands of pieces of glass, Sutherland created colourful mosaics of flowers directly into the station’s tiling. Two large mosaics of a giant flower in cross-section face each other across the tracks, reaching upward into a mezzanine level lined with smaller flower mosaics.

Nearby landmarks

Nearby landmarks include Casa Loma

Casa Loma

Casa Loma is a Gothic Revival style house in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is now a museum and landmark. It was originally a residence for financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt. Casa Loma was constructed over a three-year period from 1911–1914. The architect of the mansion was E. J...

, Spadina House

Spadina House

Spadina Museum, also called Spadina , is a historic manor on Spadina Road in Toronto, Canada that is now a museum operated by the City of Toronto Cultural Services. The museum preserves the house much as it existed and developed historically...

, George Brown College

George Brown College

George Brown College is a public, fully accredited college of applied arts and technology with three full campuses in downtown Toronto, Ontario...

, and the Toronto Archives

City of Toronto Archives

The City of Toronto Archives is the municipal archives for the City of Toronto. It holds records created by the City of Toronto government and its predecessor municipalities from 1792 to the present day, as well as non-government records created by private groups and individuals...

.