A Man Was Pushed Onto The Subway Tracks In Toronto & It Happened During The Evening Rush

An increasing number of situations of violence on the TTC has continued into the start of 2023 and in the latest incident, a man was pushed onto the subway tracks right in the middle of the busy evening commute home.

The Toronto Police Service (TPS) confirmed to Narcity the incident happened at 6:14 p.m. Tuesday night at Bloor-Yonge station, the busiest subway station in the city during one of the busiest times to be taking public transit.

However, this incident seems to be slightly different, because it was "an altercation, not a random push," TTC Senior Communications Advisor Stuart Green told Narcity.

Police said two men got into an argument which escalated into a physical altercation, ending with one of the men pushing the other onto the tracks.

He was helped off of the tracks before a train approached and police confirmed that no injuries were reported. Toronto Paramedics told Narcity they were not called out to the scene.

While TPS has said it's working with the TTC and this is an ongoing investigation, one of the men was arrested on the scene and has since been charged with assault.

The key difference between this incident and others over recent weeks is many incidents of violence in that time frame have been seemingly random.

There was a fatal double stabbing at High Park station and several other incidents where passengers have been attacked at random.

And earlier this week, someone even found an exposed blade wedged into the wall of a streetcar.

On Tuesday, Mayor John Tory proposed a nearly $50 million increase to the Toronto Police budget for 2023, partly in response to these concerns.

When asked about the ongoing incidents on public transit in Toronto over recent weeks and whether more officers are being directed to certain high-traffic areas on the TTC of if there is any broader message to the public regarding public safety, a TPS Media Relations Officer first declined to comment because it "relates to the budget."

The following statement was later sent to Narcity:

"As part of their regular patrols, officers cover public transit. Our deployments are data-driven and intelligence-led based on crime stats and we also work closely with our partners at the TTC and their Special Constables. Officers will continue to pay attention to our transit system. Please reach out to the TTC or the City for further comment."

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.