Toronto Transit Commission Line 5 Eglinton

	Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown
Number of Branches
Distance		19km (Kennedy Station - Mount Dennis)
Blue Night
Types of vehicles used		Bombardier Flexity Freedom
Division		Eglinton Crosstown LRV MSF
Ridership (2018)		NA

The Eglinton Crosstown LRT (also known as The Crosstown or Line 5) is a future light rail transit (LRT) line that is currently under construction in the City of Toronto. The line will run from Kennedy Station to Weston Road (Mount Dennis). The central portion of the route will run under Eglinton Avenue. The line will have connections with the Bloor-Danforth Line and the Yonge-University-Spadina Line.

As part of a master agreement with the City of Toronto, Metrolinx is responsible for project delivery and the Toronto Transit Commission will be responsible for the line's operation. The line is scheduled to open sometime in 2024.

History

The Eglinton Crosstown LRT was part of the Transit City Light Rail Plan introduced by former mayor David Miller and former TTC chair Adam Giambrone in 2007. Under that plan, the LRT line would eventually connect Kennedy Station with Pearson Airport in its second phase. Connections would have been made with other Transit City lines: the Don Mills LRT and Jane LRT. There would have also been connections with the Mississauga Transitway in the west. The environmental assessment for this project was completed in March 2010 and was approved by the Ontario Minister of the Environment in June.

After the election of Rob Ford as the new mayor of Toronto, he quickly declared the cancellation of Transit City. Work began on revising the transit plan to fit Ford's vision. On March 30, 2011, the government of Ontario announced $12.4 billion in funding for the revised plan for LRT along Eglinton Avenue and for the TTC to extend the Sheppard Line in both directions. The revised LRT plan would cost $8.2 billion to build. However, on February 8, 2012, city council renewed their support for the original Transit City plan.

Metrolinx ordered four Lovat tunnel boring machines (TBMs) at a cost of $62 million in 2010. A competition was held two name the machines. One pair has been named Dennis and Lea, and another pair has been named Humber and Don.

Pre-construction work and construction of the TBM launching shaft between Black Creek Drive and Bicknell Avenue took place in 2011. Premier Dalton McGuinty along with Mayor Rob Ford, MPPs, City Councillors and various officials marked the start of construction on the project on November 9, 2011. The boring machines were expected to be lowered and begin construction of the Midtown tunnel in late summer 2012. However due to difficulties in construction, tunneling did not begin until June 2013. Metrolinx anticipated completion of the Eglinton Crosstown Line by 2021. The line was scheduled to open one year earlier, however a change in scope of the project necessitated the extended deadline according to Metrolinx.

TBMs Dennis and Lea completed tunneling of the western segment when they reached Yonge Street on May 10, 2016. TBMs Don and Humber completed tunneling of the eastern segment when they reached Yonge Street on August 17, 2016.

In the summer of 2017, preparatory works for the eastern at-grade portion of the Eglinton line began. Approximately seven kilometres of medians would be removed between Leslie Street and Rosemount Drive to make way for the dedicated transit lanes. Guideway work began in late 2018, and the first concrete pour occurred at O’Connor Drive in early 2019 with the first tracks laid soon after.

In February 2020, Metrolinx announced that the Eglinton line would not be complete by September 2021. Instead the line will open some time in 2022. Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster said Crosslinx started construction nine months later than initially planned and was slow to finalize designs. Complications in construction at Eglinton Station, Avenue Station, and Mount Dennis Station also contributed to the delay.

In the Spring of 2021, six LRVs were transported to Rosemount Drive where they were unloaded and moved to the Brentcliff portal for storage. Slow speed vehicle testing began on part of the surface portion of the route. Further testing with increased speeds was carried out through August and into the Fall.

Metrolinx had hoped that the Eglinton line could open in the fourth quarter of 2022. However on September 23, 2022, Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster announced that this would no longer happen. Crosslinx was still behind schedule and there was more construction and testing to be done. No new completion date was given.

In April 2023, Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster announced that there were 260 quality issues that needed to be rectified. The biggest quality issue was in the tracks which were outside Metrolinx’s specifications by a number of millimetres. With only 50 per cent of required testing completed, the TTC has been unable to complete operator training.

Route details

Phase I

The first phase of the line will run 19 kilometres along Eglinton Avenue between Kennedy Station and Weston Road. Approximately 10 kilometres of the route will run underground from Laird Drive to Keele Street. Where it is not underground, the line will run down the centre of Eglinton Avenue.

To address traffic and pedestrian concerns as well as preserving a future connection to GO Transit, a new western alignment was presented to the public in July 2012. The western alignment from Keel Street to Jane Street was amended with an elevated segment to Black Creek Drive from a portal west of Keele Street and an underground segment from Black Creek Drive to just east of Weston Road (Mt. Dennis). The stop at Jane Street will be built as part of Phase 2.

Under Rob Ford's revised plan, the first phase would have ran completely underground from either Jane Street or Black Creek Drive to Kennedy Station and continue above ground to Scarborough Centre Station. The six kilometre portion from Kennedy Station to Scarborough Centre Station would have followed the Scarborough RT alignment using LRT technology. In total, there would have been 26 stations. The combined Eglinton Line and Scarborough RT was named the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown Line. City council, however, later voted to go ahead with the original Transit City plan.

Crosstown West

The second phase of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT would see an extension of the line to Pearson International Airport. From Mount Dennis Station, the line would continue along Eglinton Avenue to Commerce Boulevard (Renforth Mississauga Transitway Station), where it would cross the 401 to Convair Drive and Silver Dart Drive. It would then make its way to the airport.

The original plan from the airport to Mount Dennis Station had stops at Silver Dart Drive, Corvair Drive, Commerce Boulevard, Renforth Drive, Rangoon Road, The East Mall, Martin Grove Road, Widdicombe Hill Boulevard/Lloyd Manor Road, Kipling Avenue, Wincott Drive/Bemersyde Drive, Islington Avenue, Russell Road/Eden Valley Drive, Royal York Road, Mulham Place, Scarlett Road, and Jane Street.

After campaigning on his SmartTrack plan, John Tory proposed a heavy rail line between Mount Dennis and Pearson International Airport. After studying the proposal it was found that the second phase of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT would be more cost effective and be less disruptive. It was recommended that the Eglinton Crosstown line be extended to Pearson International Airport.

Initially conceived as running entirely at-grade, the City considered grade separations at Martin Grove Road, Kipling Avenue, Islington Avenue, Royal York Road, Scarlett Road, and Jane Street. They also recommended 10 stations on the western extension, removing stops at Rangoon Road, The East Mall, and Russell Road/Eden Valley Drive. City staff later ruled out any further consideration of the studied grade separations believing the estimated costs were greater than the estimated benefits. However Mayor John Tory asked for further study citing community feedback.

By 2019, the City had four options for the Eglinton Crosstown western extension. The first option would have the line run at-grade from Jane Street to Renforth Station with stops at Scarlett Road, Mulham Place, Royal York Road, Islington Avenue, Wincott Drive, Kipling Avenue, Widdicombe Hill Boulevard, and Martin Grove Road. The second option would have the line run underground from Jane Street to Renforth Station. The third option would have the line elevated at Jane Street, then continue underground to Renforth Station with only one stop at Kipling Avenue. The fourth option would have the line elevated at Jane Street and Scarlett Road, then underground to Renforth Station with stops at Royal York Road, Islington Avenue, Kipling Avneue, and Martin Grove Road.

In April 2019, the Province of Ontario announced a $28.5 billion transit plan for the GTHA (of which they would put forth $11.2 billion). Included was the extension of the Eglinton Crosstown toward Pearson International Airport. It was estimated to cost $4.7 billion and be completed before 2031.

By February 2020, Metrolinx committed to a 9.2 kilometre extension from Mount Dennis that would be elevated at Jane Street and Scarlett Road, then underground to just before Renforth Drive where the line would be at-grade. While more expensive than a fully at-grade line, Metrolinx found this option gave the best results for network connectivity, corridor travel experience, as well as livable and sustainable communities.

Crosstown East

Under John Tory's administration, a proposal for the extension of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT further into Scarborough was presented in January 2016. The alignment was, in essence, that of the Scarborough Malvern LRT proposed with Transit City. Rather than terminating at Sheppard, however, the Crosstown East extension will terminate at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus. The funds for the extension is to come from money saved by removing two stations on the Scarborough Subway Extension. The subway would terminate at Scarborough Centre rather than Sheppard Avenue East and would not stop at Lawrence Avenue East.

From Kenned Station, the line would travel on Eglinton Avenue and stop at Midland Avenue, Falmouth Avenue, Danforth Road, McCowan Road, Bellemy Road Eglinton GO Station, Mason Road, Markham Road, and Kingston Road. It would then turn north along Kingston Road with stops at Guildwood Parkway, Celest Drive Guildwood GO Station, Galloway Road, and Lawrence Avenue/Morningside Avenue. Traveling north on Morningside Avenue, the line would stop at West Hill Collegiate Institute as well as Ellesmere Road. From Ellesmere Road it would continue through the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus to Military Trail, then continue north to the Pan Am Sports Centre. In May 2018, a city report recommended planning for a further six-stop extension to Malvern Town Centre. It also recommended grade separation (LRT in a tunnel) the Kingston Road, Lawrence Avenue East and Morningside Avenue intersection. Mayor John Tory made the announcement alongside councillors Josh Colle and Neethan Shan.

Stations

All stations will be wheelchair accessible, accept the Presto card, feature Designated Waiting Areas, and have CCTV. The platforms at Eglinton and Eglinton West will cross under the subway line and provide a connection for passengers. Kennedy Station will be rebuilt to provide connections to the subway and proposed LRT lines.

The design phase for stations from Keele Street to Chaplin Crescent began in early 2011. After public consultation, initial construction began in 2013. In addition, preliminary designs for stations from Avenue Road to Bayview Avenue began in 2013. Construction of the stations themselves began in 2014.

The revised Crosstown plan under Mayor Rob Ford omitted stops at Ferrand Drive, Pharmacy Avenue, Lebovic Avenue, and Ionview Road, which were proposed in the original Transit City plan. However with city council renewing their support for the Transit City plan on February 8, 2012, these stops were restored. However after review, Metrolinx sought to continue the line underground to Don Mills Road. It was decided that the stop at Leslie street would be eliminated because the forecaster low ridership did not justify the $80 million it would cost to have the stop underground. The stop at Ferrand Drive was to be eliminated as well due to geometric constraints. Both stops at Ferrand and Leslie were restored after public opposition to their removal.

Station name	Date opened	Connections	Notes
Mount Dennis		Kitchener 27, 35, 71, 89, 161, 168, 170, 171, 935, 989 Union Pearson Express
Keelesdale		41, 58, 941	Proposed as Keele
Caledonia		Barrie 18, 19, 47
Fairbank		29, 929	Proposed as Dufferin
Oakwood		637, 90
Cedarvale		1, 63, 109	Eglinton West Station will be renamed
Forest Hill		7, 14, 33	Proposed as Bathurst
Chaplin		14, 33
Avenue		13, 61
Eglinton		1, 5, 51, 54, 56, 61, 97
Mount Pleasant		74, 103
Leaside		11	Proposed as Bayview
Laird		51, 81, 88
Sunnybrook Park		51	Proposed as Leslie
Science Centre		25, 54, 100, 925, 954	Proposed as Don Mills
Aga Khan Park & Museum			Proposed as Ferrand
Wynford		100
Sloane		91	Proposed as Bermondsey
O'Connor		24, 70, 924	Proposed as Victoria Park
Pharmacy		67, 70
Hakimi Lebovic			Proposed as Lebovic
Golden Mile		68	Proposed as Warden
Birchmount		17
Ionview
Kennedy		Stouffville 2, 12, 20, 21, 43, 57, 86, 113, 116, 175, 903, 905, 986

Maintenance and Storage Facility

A maintenance and storage facility (MSF) will be located next to the Mount Dennis Station on the former site of Kodak Heights. The MSF is expected to accommodate 165 light rail vehicles and share the 23 hectare site with development designed to benefit the surrounding community. Development of the land is also expected to improve its frontage onto Eglinton Avenue.

The land was acquired by Metrolinx in 2012 who followed with public consultation through to 2013. Community-focused design principles were included in its request for proposals, which was issued in December of that year. Crosslinx Transit Solutions, a consortium comprised of EllisDon, SNC-Lavalin, Aecon and ACS - Dragados, was selected to design, build, and maintain the Eglinton Crosstown which includes the maintenance and storage facility.

Construction of the combined Mount Dennis Station and MSF site began in earnest with the demolition of the Photography Drive bridge in February 2016. It will be rebuilt to become a new access road to the bus terminal and MSF. Former Kodak building no. 9 (3500 Eglinton Avenue West) was moved on August 25, 2016 to make way for construction of the station. It will be moved back and become a part of the Mount Dennis Mobility Hub.

External links

• Dedicated website
• The Crosstown information page, ttc.ca
• Eglinton Scarborough Crosstown 2011 Presentation, ttc.ca

v·d·e
Divisions
Current Divisions	GO Transit - Presto - Union Pearson Express
Projects
Current Projects	Eglinton Crosstown LRT - Finch West LRT - Hamilton LRT - Hurontario LRT - Regional Express Rail - Viva Rapidways - Union Station - Union Station GO Bus Terminal
Initiatives
Current Projects	Transit Procurement Initiative - The Big Move - Smart Commute
Greater Golden Horseshoe Agencies