Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he’s confident the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will finally open next month, suggesting the provincial government has accepted a schedule pitched by Toronto’s transit agency.
At the tail end of 2025, senior leaders from the TTC and Metrolinx sat down alongside Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, Premier Ford and Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.
The group worked through a tense meeting to thrash out when the years-delayed transit line would finally be ready to open, sources previously told Global News.
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Metrolinx pushed for a Dec. 28 launch date, arguing the line had been tested to death and didn’t need to be held up any longer. The TTC said it needed more time to ensure a smooth launch, aiming for Feb. 8.
Speaking at an unrelated event on Thursday, Ford appeared to confirm the TTC’sschedule would be followed.
“They’re doing their very best, but thank god we’re getting this thing going. It’s been a nightmare, I’ll be the first to admit it,” Ford said on Jan. 8, one month before the target date.
“The good thing is we’re moving forward on all the other transit, subway programs that we have. I’m confident it’s going to get going early in February.”
The launch of the line, which has now been under construction for roughly 15 years, comes after the troubled opening of the Finch West LRT.
That transit line launched in December and has been beset by complaints about its speed, along with regular weather-related breakdowns.
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