Toronto's newest transit line braces for first weekday commute

Northwest Toronto's newly-opened light-rail transit (LRT) line is getting its first major test Monday, as weekday commuters bring rush hour to the Finch West LRT for the first time.

The new 10.3-kilometre LRT, also dubbed Line 6, officially opened to passengers Sunday after four years of delays and budget run-ups. Running mostly above ground along Finch Avenue W., Toronto transit's first new line since 2002 connects Humber College to Finch West Station and Line 1 subway service at the eastern end, with 18 stops along the way.

Large crowds checked out the first trains on the line Sunday, with many people saying they'd been waiting years for a faster, more reliable commute through the northwest part of the city.

The first day went off mostly without a hitch, but Monday morning should really put the line through its paces. Toronto transit averages about 2.6 million customer boardings each weekday, according to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) CEO's latest report.

The new line could also help ease the burden on Toronto commuters mandated back to the office this fall and winter.

The TTC says trains will arrive every six and a half minutes during morning and afternoon rush hours and every 10 to 12 minutes at other times.

The line was first proposed in 2007 but was delayed by years of political debates, changes in funding and repeated construction setbacks, which generated criticism from locals in the area. Construction on the LRT broke ground in 2019 and it was originally slated to open in 2023.

A report by Metrolinx earlier this fall said the line's total cost was $3.7 billion, including life cycle, operating and maintenance costs, putting the project above the initial $2.5 billion estimate.

That same report also shows the Eglinton Crosstown LRT — a delay-plagued project also first proposed in 2007 — has incurred a cost of over $13 billion.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said last week the delay-plagued Eglinton Crosstown LRT is expected to open in 2026 or "very soon after."

Construction began on that line in 2011, and it was first expected to open in 2020. September was later touted as a possible opening date but performance issues had pushed that timeline back further.

Throughout the process transit advocates have criticized Metrolinx for its lack of transparency on how the project was going, while businesses and people living along the line during construction grew weary of delays.

Advocacy group TTCriders commended the completion of the project this fall, but also called for a public inquiry into the extensive delays and cost overruns affecting both the Finch West and Eglinton Crosstown LRTs, saying they wanted greater transparency from the province in the future.

TTCriders member August Puranauth said the group also has concerns about the service itself. All new transit is an improvement to the city, Puranauth said, but they're worried about LRT travel and wait times.