TORONTO — The Toronto Transit Commission has opened its newest rail transit line, the 10.3-kilometer (6.4-mile), 18-station Line 6 Finch West.
The light rail line launched service on Sunday, Dec. 7, offering connection to TTC’s subway Line 1 (University-Yonge), 30 TTC bus routes and other regional transit systems. Regional transit agency Metrolinx says in a press release that the route is projected to carry 12 million people annually by 2031. The route will offer service on 6½-minute headways during peak periods and at 10- to 12-minute intervals at other times, running Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on holidays. Shuttle bus service will operate overnight; more details are available here.
The Toronto Sun reports that the Finch West Line, the first new transit line in the city since 2002, opened about two years behind the original 2023 estimate. A Metrolinx report says the project cost Ca$3.7 billion, some Ca$1.2 billion over its original budget. The CBC reports an end-to-end run on the line is scheduled to take 46 minutes, but one of its reporters said a trip on Monday took some 55 minutes.
The mostly above-ground line uses 18 Alstom Citadis light rail vehicles built in Ontario; Alstom also has a 30-year contract to maintain the trainsets and infrastructure. “We are delighted to contribute to the development of Toronto’s booming public transit system with best-in-class mobility technology, made by Canadians, for Canadians,” Michael Keroullé, president of Alstom Americas, said in a press release.
The line uses communication-based train control signaling from Hitachi Rail. The SelTrac system, developed in Toronto, includes automatic train protection to prevent collisions and speeding. More information is available here.
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