Metrolinx still has no opening date for Eglinton Crosstown, says 'wrinkles' remain

"Out of Service" signs are shown on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto on Friday, May 5, 2023. The Eglinton Crosstown LRT has been under construction for 10 years and includes a “Science Centre” stop that would increase transit accessibility to the attraction. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

It appears as though there are still “wrinkles” causing delays for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster spoke to reporters at a provincial fare integration announcement on Monday morning, saying that “really good progress” has been made on the 19-kilometre rail line.

“We are all hard at work to bring this program to a close,” he said.

It is still unclear when the transit line, which was slated to open in 2020, will begin operating. Verster has previously said they will not be sharing any deadlines publicly until three months before an opening schedule is available.

He reiterated that fact on Monday.

“The most important thing is we're making systematic progress. I will not open the service up if it's not safe and reliable,” he said.

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Construction on the Eglinton Crosstown first began in 2011 and has been plagued by delays, including a lawsuit filed by the consortium responsible for the project.

Verster noted that system integration tests stood at about 15 per cent in November and now stand at about 28 per cent. Physical construction at Yonge and Eglinton has also been completed, he said, and occupancy permits for some biggest underground stations have been acquired.

At the same time, the CEO said he was worried about the signalling train control system.

The system, Verster said, “needs a couple of software releases to iron our software, let’s call it wrinkles, that’ll get the system to the right place.”

The last time Metrolinx provided an update on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT was in November, when he noted Metrolinx had “a really good idea” of when the line would open. He has yet to confirm an approximate opening date —refusing to even say the transit line will open in 2024.

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In December, Verster provided media a tour of Yonge Station, saying it would not be “sensible or responsible” to declare an opening date.

The “New Deal” struck between Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow in November ensured some additional funding for the transit line, which was at risk of being “deferred indefinitely” due to the city’s financial challenges.

As such, the province has said it will provide up to $1.2 billion in provincial operating supports over three years to, among other things, the Eglinton Crosstown and the Finch West Light Rail Transit systems.