An instant after a tense altercation erupted on a subway, a passenger can be heard yelling, “He’s stabbing him up,” prompting a surge of onlookers to flee the scene. Amid the chaos, the person recording the incident captures a chilling trail of blood on the subway floor. “I died on the operating table once, and I’m pretty sure I was this close to dying on the subway floor,” recounted Dyckhoff to CBC News and the Investigative Journalism Foundation (IJF). The harrowing incident is part of a broader trend of escalating violence on public transit systems across Canada, highlighted in a collaborative investigation by CBC’s visual investigations unit and the IJF.

Over the last decade, several Canadian cities have experienced a significant rise in violent crimes on transit networks, a trend that far exceeds increases in crime in other settings. Exclusive Statistics Canada data reveals that the cumulative number of assaults reported on transit in eight of Canada’s ten largest census metropolitan areas — collectively home to roughly half of the country’s population — doubled between 2016 and 2024. By comparison, assaults across all locations in these regions rose by only 53 per cent over the same period, demonstrating that transit-related violence has surged at a disproportionately high rate.

The Toronto census metropolitan area, in particular, stands out in the data. Physical assaults reported on Toronto-area transit have soared by 160 per cent over the past eight years, while all violent crimes on the system increased by 127 per cent. These figures suggest that Canada’s largest transit networks have become increasingly vulnerable to incidents of violence, raising safety concerns for daily commuters and transit operators alike.

Experts point to several contributing factors behind this spike in transit violence. Overcrowding, delayed services, and mental health crises are frequently cited as stressors that exacerbate conflicts on public transportation. In addition, the anonymity of crowded transit environments can embolden perpetrators, while limited staffing and security presence may hinder rapid intervention during incidents. Public awareness campaigns, improved surveillance, and better training for transit staff have been recommended as strategies to mitigate risks, though experts note that systemic investment in safety infrastructure remains essential.

The personal impact of transit violence cannot be overstated. Survivors like Dyckhoff describe life-altering trauma, illustrating the psychological toll of witnessing or experiencing violent incidents in confined, public spaces. The CBC/IJF investigation emphasizes that while these attacks often make headlines, many assaults remain unreported, suggesting that official statistics may understate the scale of the problem.

This troubling trend raises broader questions about urban safety, resource allocation, and the need for coordinated responses from transit authorities, law enforcement, and municipal governments. As Canadian cities continue to expand their transit systems to accommodate growing populations, ensuring the safety of riders becomes a critical priority. Without proactive measures, experts warn that rising incidents of assault and other forms of violence could continue to erode public confidence in the reliability and security of mass transit networks.

The recent subway stabbing captured by Dyckhoff serves as a stark reminder of the dangers present in urban transit settings and the urgent need for policies and interventions to protect passengers. As cities grapple with these challenges, data-driven insights and collaborative investigations like the CBC/IJF report are essential to understanding and addressing the growing issue of transit-related violence across Canada.