Eglinton Crosstown LRT could open in September 2024: TTC budget

After months of speculation about when the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will be operational amid continued refusals to release a projected opening date, TTC staff are hinting the 13th year of construction could be the final one.

TTC staff released their 2024 operating and capital budgets Friday afternoon ahead of a board meeting on Wednesday. Contained in the documents are references to opening the Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown and Line 6 Finch West light rail transit lines.

“The TTC is planning for (the) opening of Lines 5 and 6 in September 2024, but this may change,” a budget report said while referencing upcoming operational costs.

CityNews contacted Metrolinx Friday evening to ask for comment on the projection contained in the TTC report. A spokesperson said in a statement testing and commissioning continues and once there’s “a date we have confidence in, we will share that with the public.”

The timeframe is noteworthy as the head of Metrolinx, the provincial transportation agency, declined to provide information on when the Eglinton Crosstown would open. The latest refusal came a week before the TTC’s budget release during a long-awaited tour inside one of the line’s 25 stations.

“As you would have seen today, we are finding and fixing issues and defects,” president and CEO Phil Verster said on Dec. 8.

“Once we are satisfied that we’ve got the risk of those contained, we’re going to announce an opening date but not before.”

Verster reiterated a recent commitment to advise the public of the opening date three months before the line becomes operational. Despite repeated questioning from reporters, he wouldn’t even rule out certain periods in the absence of providing a tentative date.

“We’re not going to be drawn on a date. We’re not going to guess which year it is. We’re just going to focus on driving the program forward,” Verster said.

“The progress on this project is significantly better in this last year since we’ve started to open some of the commercial issues more … the progress you’re seeing is largely based on the commitment of 1,200 on the [Crosslinx Transit Solutions] side, 200 people on our side, two teams that are working closely together to get this over the line.”

The closest clue of when the line might open came during a visit to the platform level on the tour.

Bill Gifford, the president of CTS, said the work of “fine-tuning” certain rail sections “by literally millimetres” on the above-ground section will happen in 2024 because those segments weren’t completely built to specifications. He said the last bit of that work should ideally occur during “warmer, drier weather” and without snow on the ground.

During an update by Metrolinx officials in September after a prolonged absence of briefings for reporters, Verster wouldn’t release a date at that time either.

“I had every intention to predict an opening date or a series or range of possible opening dates for the Eglinton Crosstown with you today, but I’ve decided against doing so,” he said on Sept. 27.

“I know it’s tempting to try and interpret what I think the opening date is. I can just say to you, give us some space, let us come back to you and give you that feedback.”

The TTC’s 2023 budget contained funding to operate both lines, but with the openings “deferred to 2024,” the TTC saved $46.5 million.

It’s estimated to cost $60.7 million to get the Eglinton Crosstown operational in 2024, but it will be augmented with $10.3 million in a one-time infusion of reserve funds and $2.1 million in new fare revenue.

In 2025, it’s estimated to cost $99.4 million to run the line, but TTC staff noted there would be $10 million saved with reduced bus service and $5.7 million in new fares.

The budget documents said the openings are part of a wave of transit expansions that pose “new operating cost pressures to a challenging fiscal framework.”

As part of the so-called ‘new deal for Toronto’ with the Ontario government, there was $330 million in funding over three years beginning in 2024 for the operations and maintenance of the Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West LRT lines. Both lines remain owned by the provincial government. There was also $300 million in one-time funding for deficits along with safety and security initiatives.

Work on the 19-kilometre line between Weston and Kennedy roads began in 2011. Construction on the Eglinton Crosstown is more than 97 per cent complete. The line was supposed to open in 2020, but it has been repeatedly pushed back due to various legal and construction issues along with COVID-19-related delays.

No new TTC fare increase proposed

As part of the budget submission, TTC staff proposed to freeze fares in 2024 after a 10-cent increase in 2023.

“While the 2023 fare adjustment helped to fund crucial system safety, cleanliness, and accessibility investments, it is acknowledged that it also had an undue hardship on those riders who depended on transit the most,” the report said.

“This action is necessary to minimize the impact on TTC riders given current economic conditions.”

Officials said it’s projected to cost $2.57 billion to operate the TTC in 2024, which would be offset by $1.34 billion in revenues. The remaining $1.23 billion would need to be funded by the City of Toronto.