Line 5 Eglinton, a new light rail transit line running across midtown Toronto, opened to the public on 9 February. The route stretches for 19 kilometres along Eglinton Avenue, linking Mount Dennis in the west with Kennedy Station in the east.
The line includes 25 stations and stops and provides connections to TTC subway Lines 1 and 2, 68 bus routes, the Kitchener and Stouffville GO rail lines, and the UP Express. The service is designed to provide an additional east–west travel option through one of the city’s busiest corridors.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is responsible for daily operations. Metrolinx and the TTC jointly prepared the line for opening and will continue to coordinate on service delivery and future adjustments.
Alstom’s Light Rail Vehicles entered service on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto, Canada
© Alstom
On opening, the TTC introduced an initial service schedule with trains running until 11 p.m. Operating hours are set at 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays, and 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on public holidays. During weekday peak periods, vehicles are scheduled to arrive about every four minutes. The TTC plans to expand to a regular timetable in the coming months.
The line is operated with 76 Flexity light rail vehicles supplied by Alstom. The vehicles were manufactured and tested in Kingston, Ontario. Each train can carry up to 200 passengers and features low-floor boarding, air conditioning, accessibility spaces and onboard passenger information systems. The vehicles are fully electric and produce no direct emissions.
Michael Keroullé, President of Alstom Americas said:
Alstom’s vehicles and signalling continue to serve as the backbone of a crucial piece of the Greater Toronto Area’s transit system. 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.
Alstom has also provided the communications-based train control signalling system used on the route. The system is intended to support consistent spacing between vehicles and managed train movements along the corridor. The company will carry out fleet maintenance under a long-term agreement.
Line 5 Eglinton is planned to connect in future with the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, the Ontario Line and the Scarborough Subway Extension, subject to completion of those projects. Transport authorities say these links are intended to support additional transfer options across the wider Greater Toronto Area.