After years of delays, Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown LRT is finally ready to welcome passengers this Sunday, marking a major milestone in the city’s transit system.
The 19-kilometre light rail transit line, with 25 stations, will be opening gradually over the next six months. Initially operating from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., the service will eventually expand to run from 5:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Trains will run every four minutes and 45 seconds during peak hours, then increase frequency to every three minutes and 30 seconds.
TTC buses will complement the LRT during non-operating hours, with no parallel shuttle services planned simultaneously.
Travel time along the route, which includes underground sections, is estimated to be between 55 to 59 minutes end-to-end, significantly faster than the previous bus route which took 105 minutes.
For its inauguration this Sunday, rides on the Eglinton LRT will be free, although there won’t be a formal public celebration event like the Finch West line opening in December.
The launch of the Eglinton LRT faces intense scrutiny following issues with the Finch West line, especially considering the harsh winter conditions in Toronto this weekend.
Despite calls for a public inquiry into the Eglinton LRT project to ensure transparency and apply lessons learned to future endeavors, Premier Doug Ford has rejected such demands.
According to a report by Metrolinx last fall, the Eglinton Crosstown project has incurred a cost exceeding $13 billion.