Emergency braking issue raises doubts over Eglinton Crosstown launch
A last-minute automatic braking problem has put the planned opening of the 19 km Eglinton Crosstown LRT at risk. Officials say explanations were provided but no official date has been set.
Copy link
By Torontoer Staff
A small number of unexpected automatic emergency brake activations during recent testing has added uncertainty to the planned launch of the long-delayed Eglinton Crosstown light rail line. Sources with knowledge of the final safety and operations checks said the Toronto Transit Commission identified the incidents as a potential safety concern.
The 19-kilometre Crosstown, built under provincial oversight by Metrolinx and delivered by the Crosslinx consortium, has faced years of delay and billions in cost overruns. With a potential opening date being discussed for Feb. 8, last-minute technical issues have brought TTC, Metrolinx and contractor teams into intensive review.
What happened during testing
TTC staff conducting operational tests reported that, on a handful of occasions, vehicles’ automatic emergency braking systems engaged without an apparent external trigger. The incidents brought test trains to a stop, prompting further investigation by the TTC and its partners.
The Crosstown uses trains supplied by Alstom and a signalling and control suite managed by the Crosslinx consortium, which also handles long-term maintenance under the project's public-private partnership. That complexity has made the final system checks more involved than for TTC lines built and operated entirely in-house.
Officials respond
Metrolinx directed questions to the TTC but said in an e-mail that, at a Jan. 20 meeting of senior officials, the TTC confirmed that "no safety critical issues were outstanding." The email also said about a recent simulation, "A thousand TTC and Metrolinx staff participated in a successful simulation of full operations last week."
"No safety critical issues were outstanding."
Lyndsay Miller, Metrolinx spokeswoman
TTC chief executive Mandeep Lali declined to confirm a specific launch date when asked by reporters. City and provincial officials met with TTC and Metrolinx staff late in the week. Sources said technical explanations were provided for the braking incidents, but they did not elaborate publicly.
Logistics and public plans
Despite the outstanding questions, city planners had begun lining up an event to mark the line's opening. Organisers reached out to local performers for a ceremony tentatively planned for the target date.
"The idea was for the eighth, but that’s all I really know. No time, location or anything like that."
Richard Underhill, Shuffle Demons
Alstom, the manufacturer of the trains, did not comment when asked about the braking incidents. The TTC also did not provide an immediate statement beyond its internal briefings.
Why this matters
The Crosstown project is already emblematic of costly, prolonged transit delivery. Early estimates were far lower than the final price tag, and the line is opening more than five years after an initial 2020 target. Any remaining technical or safety concerns will complicate the public messaging and the operational handover to TTC crews.
- Length: 19 kilometres
- Cost: about $13-billion
- Original planned completion: 2020
- Current target date discussed: Feb. 8
- Delivery model: public-private partnership, Crosslinx responsible for construction and maintenance
Next steps
TTC, Metrolinx and Crosslinx teams continued to exchange data and technical explanations following the incidents. Sources said that, pending validation of those explanations, the Feb. 8 date could still stand, but no official announcement had been made by late Thursday.
Regulatory approvals, final safety sign-offs and the handover of operations to TTC staff remain prerequisites for passenger service to begin. Any additional anomalies uncovered during final testing would require further resolution before opening.
For riders and city officials, the key question now is whether the remaining issues can be closed quickly enough to allow a controlled, fully tested launch, or whether the line will require more time for verification and remediation.
City and transit agencies said they would announce any confirmed opening date once all safety and operational checks are complete.
Eglinton CrosstownTTCMetrolinxtransitinfrastructure
