Eglinton Crosstown LRT to begin service Feb. 8 after years of delays
Line 5 is scheduled to open Feb. 8, two sources say. The 19-km Eglinton Crosstown, delayed since 2011, will run initially from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., with service ramped up after six months.
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By Torontoer Staff
The Eglinton Crosstown Line 5 is scheduled to begin passenger service on Feb. 8, two sources with knowledge of the matter told the Star. Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the line.
The announcement, if confirmed by the TTC and Metrolinx, would bring to an end more than a decade of construction, roughly $13 billion in project costs, and years of disruption for businesses and residents along Eglinton Avenue.
What riders can expect on opening day
The province has said the Crosstown will operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on opening day, with trains scheduled every four minutes and 45 seconds. Service levels are expected to increase after six months, following a phased start similar to the Finch West LRT’s soft-opening approach.
- Route length: 19 kilometres, from Mount Dennis in the west to Kennedy in the east
- Stops: 25, with connections to Line 1 and Line 2
- Operator: TTC will run the service, Metrolinx will own the line
- Maintenance: Crosslinx, the construction consortium, is contracted for upkeep
Official responses and testing status
Premier Doug Ford responded to questions about the Feb. 8 date by saying, "Thank God," and noting hundreds of thousands of kilometres of testing. The TTC declined to confirm the timeline when asked.
Thank God. They’ve done hundreds of thousands of kilometres of testing, and it’s gonna finally get finished.
Premier Doug Ford
Why the project ran late and over budget
Construction on the Crosstown began in 2011. It was initially slated to open in 2020, but the schedule slipped by six years because of a combination of construction challenges, vehicle performance issues and pandemic-related delays. The project also triggered widespread business closures and prolonged disruptions along Eglinton Avenue.
Testing setbacks pushed back earlier targets. September had been considered as a potential opening month before problems with the light-rail vehicles delayed the rollout. In October, two trains collided in the Crosstown rail yard, an incident the province later attributed to human error and which further paused testing.
Concerns from advocates and councillors
Transit advocates and city councillors have expressed both relief and caution about the opening. Andrew Pulsifer, executive director of TTCriders, said he is excited but apprehensive, noting the Finch West LRT faced performance and weather-related problems when it opened in December.
There’s absolutely apprehension that the Crosstown will face some of the same barriers that Line 6 has faced. The stakes are high, the knives are out for Metrolinx right now and they have a lot to prove with this opening.
Andrew Pulsifer, TTCriders
Councillor Josh Matlow, whose ward covers much of the Eglinton route, warned that another troubled launch could erode public support for future transit projects and make it harder to secure community buy-in after years of impacts.
It’ll be harder to convince businesses and communities to support expansion plans when they’ve been treated like collateral damage. This can never happen again.
Coun. Josh Matlow (Ward 12, Toronto—St. Paul’s)
Both Pulsifer and Matlow have called for a public inquiry into the causes of the six-year delay, echoing calls made after other recent light-rail openings that encountered early safety or performance problems.
Next steps and remaining questions
Provincial and city officials debated a 2025 versus a 2026 opening at a private meeting on Dec. 5, according to sources. Ford told reporters that day the line would not open until the new year. The exact date will stand only after formal confirmation from Metrolinx and the TTC.
For riders, the Crosstown promises a new east-west rapid transit option and connections to major subway lines. For businesses and communities along Eglinton, the opening will mark the start of a transition from construction disruption to operational service, with scrutiny on how reliably the line performs in its early months.
The TTC and Metrolinx have been asked to confirm the Feb. 8 start date and to provide final details on fares, schedules and customer information for the public.
If the Feb. 8 date holds, passengers can expect an initial, limited service window and a phased increase in frequency and hours as operators work through early operational issues. The coming weeks will determine whether Line 5 delivers the relief Toronto commuters have been waiting for.
Eglinton CrosstownLine 5TTCMetrolinxtransit
