The Government of Ontario has announced the start of tunnelling on the Ontario Line, a new rapid transit route across Toronto.
Two tunnel boring machines are now operating from Exhibition Station, excavating twin tunnels eastwards towards the Don Yard near the Don Valley Parkway and Lakeshore Boulevard. The tunnels will reach depths of up to 40 metres. From the Don Yard, trains will continue above ground across the Lower Don Bridge.
The Ontario government has officially started tunnelling the Ontario Line
© Ontario
The Ontario Line is planned as a 15.6-kilometre route running from Exhibition Place to Don Mills Road, where it will connect with the Eglinton Crosstown light rail line. The line will include 15 stations and more than 40 connections to existing transit services. Once completed, it is expected to place approximately 230,000 people within walking distance of rapid transit.
Premier Doug Ford said:
The start of tunnelling is a historic milestone for the Ontario Line which, once complete, will help cut travel times for commuters across Toronto by 40 minutes. Our government will continue to fight gridlock and keep workers on the job by leading the largest expansion of public transit in North America.
Work is also progressing at Exhibition Station, where platforms and entrances are under construction on both sides of the track. The station is expected to provide connections to GO Transit services and serve the Liberty Village area. Forecasts suggest that more than 12,000 passengers could use the station during peak periods, including a significant number transferring between services.
Elsewhere in the city centre, excavation has been completed at several future stations, including King West, Moss Park and Distillery District, while work is nearing completion at Chinatown. The province has also confirmed updated station names intended to reflect well-known local neighbourhoods.
The Ontario Line forms part of a wider programme of public transport investment by the province, with total spending estimated at nearly 70 billion CAD. This includes other projects such as the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and the Yonge North Subway Extension.
The Government of Canada is contributing more than 4 billion CAD towards the Ontario Line. When operational, the line is projected to support nearly 390,000 passenger journeys per day and reduce crowding on existing routes, particularly on the busiest sections of Toronto’s Line 1 subway.