Hey guys, welcome back to the channel! Today we’ll be looking at Midland station, a small
Scarborough RT station that packs some charm despite its size. Elevated above midland avenue
between Ellesmere Road and Progress Avenue, Midland will, unfortunately, be a station
that is getting the axe as part of the line 2 Scarborough subway extension, so let’s
head on over and check it out for the history books.
We arrive at Midland station on a McCowan bound SRT train onto the platform of the station.
Opened in 1985, many of the Scarborough RT stations have a similar design, with a bunker-like
outside structure reminiscent of some of the original SkyTrain stations in Vancouver. And
this is, of course, an apt comparison as the trains used on the SRT are mostly identical
to the Mark 1 Skytrain cars, besides the fact that they're not automated and still require parental supervision.
The station has a two-level elevated structure, with its entrances and collectors booth on
the ground level, and the platform we are standing on above ground.
The eastbound tracks from the station continue to be elevated until they reach Scarborough
centre station in the distance, while the westbound tracks lower into a tunnel, and
head for Ellesmere station. The platform, like we’ve seen for Kennedy
station, is certainly not very long as the SRT trains themselves are only 4 cars long,
but there is ample space to serve the measly three thousand riders that use the station
on a typical weekday. Compared to a full-sized subway station, a line 3 station like Midland
lacks many of the amenities we’ve come to expect, including TV’s on the platform and
a designated waiting area, but I kinda like these separate seat benches, they give off
a cute vibe.
On the eastbound platform walls, we have a colourful mural that was part of Nuit Blanche
2018, titled Natural Love. This mural by Toronto artist Planta Muisca is part of a series of
artworks in different SRT stations named Mirrors of Babel, and it depicts indigenous imagery
from Central and South America, which is made more enjoyable with the birds chirping around
here. My favourite part is this smiling little guy right here.
Descending down one set of stairs, we arrive at the main entrance of Midland station. This
definitely isn’t the biggest station concourses I’ve been too, (heck, it is one of the smaller
Line 3 stations, to begin with), but I am kind of intrigued by the industrial, bunker
feeling of this whole place. You can find a collector’s booth here and several presto
machines so you won’t have to worry about fare when using this station.
Heading back up but this time up to the westbound platform, we find a similar situation as the
eastbound platform that we were just on, but with a distinct lack of mural and a much more
open view down onto the nicely paved Midland Avenue, channelling those Skytrain vibes again.
Heading downstairs via a different set of stairs, we arrive at the side entrance of
Midland station. This entrance is right across the street from the main entrance and is significantly
more subdued as an automated entrance with no collector’s booth. Outside of both stations
entrances, you will be able to find some bicycle racks, as well as a minuscule amount of parking
as this station is more meant to be used for passengers taking the bus instead of commuting
in their cars.
And speaking of buses, you can catch a 57 Midland bus right outside of either entrance
northbound to Steeles or southbound to Kennedy, and since this is the only route that serves
the station, there is an unfortunate lack of a bus terminal, unlike some other stations
on the line.
If you do use the station though, you need to be careful about the direction you want
to travel in when you are taking the bus, as there is no crossing here for you to get
to the opposite bus stop. For southbound buses, head out from the main entrance, and use the
side entrance for northbound buses.
Midland station is located in a quiet neighbourhood that does not seem to receive much traffic
despite it being rush hour, and there doesn’t seem to be any remarkable landmarks surrounding
the station as this seems to be a relatively industrial area, but it is kind of nice to
walk around here, to look at the impressive train station elevated in the sky.
I’ve not known Midland station for long as I’ve just started using it in the past
couple of weeks, but I reckon it will have a place in my heart when it eventually fades
away for good.
Alright guys, that’s about it for our mini adventure at Midland station. Tell us what
your favourite part of this station is, and where you’d like us to go next in the series
down in the comments below. Like, subscribe, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and support
us on Patreon if you want to help us keep making videos. Thanks for watching guys, and
we’ll see you in the next one!