Eglinton Crosstown LRT begins public phased opening without official fanfare

Six years after it was originally scheduled to open and nearly 15 years after the first shovels went into the ground, the long-delayed and much-maligned Eglinton Crosstown LRT began carrying passengers Sunday across a key east-west corridor.

Train service quietly launched across the 19-kilometre, 25-stop Eglinton Crosstown — now referred to as Line 5 Eglinton — corridor Sunday morning. The first train departed Kennedy station just before 7:30 a.m.

“A lot of patience from our customers went into this and a ton of work from our TTC team with our partners to make sure that we’re even able to launch today,” Josh Colle, the TTC’s chief strategy and customer officer, told The Leader Spirit.

“We’re super excited to see so many people out and so many people excited to be on, this, what’s been a smooth ride so far.”

The LRT line connects the Mount Dennis transit hub in the west end of Toronto with the Kennedy subway station in Scarborough along Eglinton Avenue West and Eglinton Avenue East.

Unlike when Line 6 Finch West launched, there wasn’t an opening celebration for TTC riders. After years of difficulties, delays and defects, officials opted for a non-eventful start, promising a party after the light rail line has been operating for months.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and various provincial, municipal and transportation industry dignitaries gathered at Eglinton station on Friday for a ceremonial plaque unveiling.

In the days before Line 5 Eglinton launched, TTC and provincial government officials stressed the early months are part of a “phased” opening with “introductory” service levels. They said early service levels are needed while maintenance and TTC operators become familiar with the Eglinton Crosstown infrastructure.

Officials said the introductory service period was scheduled to last three to six months.

“We really want to hear from our customers on this,” Colle said, adding the TTC will be collecting public feedback through surveys.

“We want to make sure that as customers experience this line, that we’re feeding that back to Metrolinx as the owner and to Crosslinx as the maintainer so they’re hearing directly from our customers on what’s working, but also if there are things we can improve.”

So what does the initial phase of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT mean for TTC passengers? Here’s a breakdown of how Line 5 Eglinton will operate for the first several months:

LRT operating hours

• Mondays to Saturdays: 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Sundays: 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Holidays: 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

How often will light rail vehicles run?

• Monday to Friday morning (7 to 10 a.m.) and afternoon/evening (3 to 7 p.m.) peak periods: Around every four minutes
• Monday to Friday off-peak periods: Every six to 10 minutes
• Saturdays and Sundays: Aroundevery seven to eight minutes
• Holidays: Every seven to 13 minutes

When will shuttle buses be used?

Until the next phase of Line 5 Eglinton train service is introduced, shuttle buses will run along the Eglinton Crosstown corridor between 10 p.m. and 1:20 a.m. daily. Officials said this is needed to give maintenance and operating crews longer periods to access tracks and stations.

Shuttle buses will run along Eglinton Avenue West and Eglinton Avenue East and stop in front of all Line 5 Eglinton stations. However, buses will enter Mount Dennis, Cedarvale, Eglinton and Kennedy stations and use the bus loops.

When trains are scheduled to operate, TTC officials said proactive, parallel shuttle bus services will not run. However, shuttle buses would be brought in if there were a train service disruption.

What are the trip times?

During a February TTC board meeting, officials said it will take 55 to 59 minutes to go end to end by train versus an estimated 105 minutes by bus.

How to pay fares

Unlike TTC streetcars, riders must pay before getting on a train. For stations with underground platforms, riders will need to pay to go through fare gates. For above-ground stations on the eastern part of Line 5 Eglinton, customers must pay at fare boxes (and get a paper transfer) or through Presto machines. Shuttle buses require fare payment.

New TTC bus routes, connections

On the same day Line 5 Eglinton service launched, TTC staff enacted a plan that created and changed 20 bus routes to integrate with the Eglinton Crosstown. Click here to read more on the Feb. 8 service changes.

Information on Line 5 Eglinton delays

Click here for service delays and alerts issued by TTC staff. Updates are also shared on the TTC Service Alerts X account (@ttcnotices). Details on service outages and issues are relayed to TTC communications staff by Metrolinx staff (who liaise with builder and maintainer Crosslinx Transit Solutions).

Who is responsible for what on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT?

Line 5 Eglinton differs from existing TTC streetcar lines because the infrastructure is owned by Metrolinx, Crosslinx Transit Solutions maintains the light rail vehicles and rail infrastructure, and the TTC is responsible for operating the trains and providing customer service coverage.

No public inquiry

In recent years, critics repeatedly called for a full public inquiry into Line 5 to ensure accountability and that any lessons learned get applied to future transit projects, but Premier Doug Ford and his government dismissed those calls. A fall Metrolinx report said the project is costing more than $13 billion (including the capital as well as current and future operating costs).