Bay Lower Station: The Star of the Show
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) season is here, and Toronto’s reputation as “Hollywood North” is back in the spotlight.
From indie flicks to blockbuster hits, tons of movies and TV shows have been filmed across the city, and the TTC’s Bay Lower Station has played a starring role countless times.
What is Bay Lower Station?
Bay Lower Station is the TTC’s “ghost station” located beneath Bay Station on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth. It briefly carried passengers in 1966 as part of an experiment that allowed trains to travel between Line 1 and Line 2, but the TTC ended regular service there after only a few months because the routing proved confusing and operationally difficult.
Today, the hidden platform is used for TTC training, testing, and of course, filming. Appearing as a stand-in for transit stations in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Moscow and beyond, Bay Lower Station gives movie makers a real subway environment without disrupting daily service and has appeared in dozens of productions, including the following five movies and TV shows.
New York Minute (2004)
The real Canal Street Station in New York City, NY. Photo: iStock.com / Boogich
Bay Lower appeared as New York’s Canal Street Station in the 2004 comedy New York Minute featuring Canadian comedy legend Eugene Levy alongside millennial favourites Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen of “Full House” fame. With its classic tilework and out-of-service platform, the station easily proved it could pass as the Big Apple without ever leaving Toronto.
The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)
The 2009 remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 also used Bay Lower Station as a stand-in for the New York City subway system. Starring Hollywood icons Denzel Washington and John Travolta, the film follows a train from Pelham Bay Park that becomes the centre of a high-stakes hijacking, with Bay Lower providing a fitting backdrop for the underground tension.
A Metropolitan Transportation Authority 6 Train servicing Pelham Bay Park and The Bronx. Photo: iStock.com / Henry Veloso
Suicide Squad (2016)
In 2016, Bay Lower was transformed into the fictional Central Station in Midway City for Suicide Squad starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie as part of an ensemble cast of comic book villains. Harley Quinn's chaotic world comes alive with the station's gritty, hidden-away feel, a natural fit for a movie packed with secret missions, and larger-than-life action.
The Handmaid’s Tale, Season 1, Episode 4 (2017)
Arlington Metro Station in downtown Boston, MA. Photo: iStock.com / GreMaWi
Bay Lower Station went dystopian in 2017, standing in for Boston’s Arlington Station in The Handmaid’s Tale’s renowned first season. In a tense episode where escape feels just within reach, the station's empty platform adds to the eerie, unsettling atmosphere.
The Boys, Season 1, Episode 4 (2019)
34th Street-Penn Station, one of Manhattan's busiest transit hubs. Photo: iStock.com / gerenme
With plenty of Toronto sightings throughout the hit superhero series, it's no surprise that Bay Lower makes an appearance in The Boys, moonlighting as Manhattan's Penn Station subway stop. It's a quick but fitting cameo for a series filmed in Toronto that has made the city part of its superpowered, satirical universe.
Next time you’re watching a movie or TV series, keep an eye out for Bay Lower Station – it steals the show every time.