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Eglinton Crosstown to remain without opening date until 3 months before trains run

Click to play video: 'Metrolinx head refuses to give completion date for Eglinton Crosstown LRT'
Metrolinx head refuses to give completion date for Eglinton Crosstown LRT
RELATED: In a much overdue update from the provincial government’s transit agency, the head of Metrolinx said he won’t give a new date for when the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will be in operation. The light rail route has already been delayed for years and the latest omission of details isn’t going over well with those tired of waiting. Matthew Bingley reports – Sep 27, 2023

Metrolinx will not reveal the opening date for the much-delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT until three months before the organization is confident trains will begin to run.

In a social media post on Thursday morning, the provincial transit agency said CEO Phil Verster had offered its board of directors an update on the project.

“We will announce an opening date for the Eglinton Crosstown three months before opening day — we are not there yet,” Verster said.

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He said the construction company building the project was still finding issues with the line that must be fixed before it can be opened.

Earlier in the year, Verster announced the project had no credible timeline to open or opening date and said hundreds of testing issues were plaguing the line.

As of the spring, he said there were as many as 260 issues with the line.

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The 19-kilometre route is years behind schedule and has seen multiple legal fights between Metrolinx and Crosslinx Transit Solutions, the consortium building it.

In a September news conference, Verster failed again to provide an opening date for the line but said he would hold regular briefings to give the public an idea of where the project was at and what issues continued to delay it.

Journalists will be invited to the Yonge and Eglinton stop on the line in early December for a tour.

Metrolinx described it as the “largest and most complex station” on the route and promised explanations to “fix the uncertainties” and push forward to an opening date.

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