The Eglinton Crosstown LRT is still undergoing a key final testing phase more than a month after it embarked on a rigorous dress rehearsal, reducing the likelihood the line can open this year.
On Oct. 7, provincial transit agency Metrolinx announced the Crosstown had started revenue service demonstration, a major 30-day testing process.
The tests involve operating the Eglinton LRT as if passengers were riding it, but keeping it closed to the public. Regular timetables, station operations and stops all take place during the tests.
The tests were billed as a 30-day period if they went off without issue, meaning they should have wrapped up around Nov. 6. In late October, however, there was an incident during the tests, which are still underway.
Metrolinx told Global News the revenue service demonstration (RSD) tests are broken into two separate sections: unscored and scored testing.
They said the incident had happened during the unscored portion, meaning the entire 30-day period did not need to be restarted. The agency did not say how much the issue had delayed the tests.
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“As the earlier incident occurred during the unscored phase of testing, the timeline for RSD did not ‘restart’ to day 1 but rather resumed as unscored testing once the trains were on the line again,” a spokesperson told Global News.
“Should an issue occur during the scored phase, we would restart the specific week of scored testing but would not need to re-do the unscored portion.”
The agency would not tell Global News how many days were left, but said the light rail route had now entered the scored testing phase.
“The exact amount of time to complete RSD will depend on the outcome of testing,” they said.
The long-delayed light rail line was started under the previous Liberal government and has continued construction for seven years under the Progressive Conservatives.
Its opening date was repeatedly pushed under former Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster, until it was removed altogether. Instead, the agency said it would announce an opening date three months before service began.
Under new leadership, Metrolinx appeared to have reduced its notice period to one month and was aiming for October to complete its tests.
The Finch West LRT, which completed its revenue service demonstration in late October, will not open until Dec. 7.
If the Crosstown were to follow a similar pattern of opening a month and a half after revenue service demonstration wraps up, it would not open this year.
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