TORONTO — Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown light rail line opened on Sunday, Feb. 8, some 15 years after construction began and six years after it was supposed to be completed.
The CBC reports it took 55 minutes for the first westbound train to cover the 19 kilometers (11.8 miles) from the Kennedy station to Mount Dennis — about what officials had promised, and about 50 minutes less than the comparable bus service on Eglinton Avenue. The broadcaster also reported there were at least two halts to service for mechanical issues the first day, one just 30 minutes after service began.
About half of the route is underground; at street level, trips slow considerably as the trains are subject to the same signals as vehicular traffic. The Toronto Sun reports the underground portion took just 15 minutes. But a signal priority system is being installed to speed the trip and should be in operation before the end of the month, according to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.
The system uses 76 Alstom Flexity light-rail trainsets built in Kingston, Ontario — low-floor trainsets with a total capacity (standing and sitting) of 200. In full operation, the line has a projected capacity of 123,000 per day. Alstom also supplied the line’s Communication Based Train Control signal system.
“Alstom’s vehicles and signalling continue to serve as the backbone of a crucial piece of the Greater Toronto Area’s transit system,” Michael Keroullé, president of Alstom Americas, said in a press release. “Our ongoing collaborations with Metrolinx and municipal transit partners, including the TTC, are helping deliver safer, more reliable mobility solutions for one of North America’s most rapidly expanding regions.”
The opening came with relatively little fanfare — there was no opening ceremony, although officials discussed the start of service in a Friday press conference [see “Toronto set to open …,” Trains.com, Feb. 7, 2026]. The Toronto Transit Commission said it will hold an opening celebration at a later date. In part, the low-key opening reflects issues with the December opening of the Finch West line [see “Toronto opens Finch West …,” Dec. 9, 2025]. The CBC reports that line reported some 350 delays between its Dec. 7 opening and the end of December.
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