Province Begins Tunnelling Ontario Line

Project advancing with significant milestones reached, including major construction at Exhibition Station

The Voice of Canada

The Ontario government has officially started tunnelling the Ontario Line, marking a major milestone in the province’s plan to protect Ontario by building fast, reliable and affordable public transit. With construction underway across the full length of the line, supporting 4,700 good-paying jobs annually, the Ontario Line will put nearly 230,000 people within walking distance of modern rapid transit while connecting more people to jobs, relieving gridlock and cutting travel times across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

“The start of tunnelling is a historic milestone for the Ontario Line which, once complete, will help cut travel times for commuters across Toronto by 40 minutes,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Our government will continue to fight gridlock and keep workers on the job by leading the largest expansion of public transit in North America.”

Two tunnel boring machines are digging twin tunnels from Exhibition Station toward the Don Yard near the Don Valley Parkway and Lakeshore Boulevard, as deep as 40 metres below the surface. At the Don Yard, Ontario Line trains will emerge from the tunnels and continue east above ground across the Lower Don Bridge. Once complete, the 15.6-kilometre Ontario Line will run from Exhibition Place to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Don Mills Road, with 15 stations and more than 40 transit connections.

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we’re getting the Ontario Line done to tackle gridlock and increase access to fast, reliable and affordable transit for millions of people across the GTA,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “This major milestone moves us another step closer to delivering world-class transit for people across the GTA while supporting thousands of good-paying jobs.”

Major construction is also underway at Exhibition Station, where crews are building platforms and station entrances on both sides of the track. Exhibition Station will connect riders to GO Transit and bring subway service to the fast-growing Liberty Village neighbourhood, putting thousands more people within walking distance of transit and supporting more than 17,000 nearby jobs. During rush hour, more than 12,000 people are expected to use the station, including more than 6,000 transferring between GO Transit and the Ontario Line.

Major progress is also being made at several downtown stations, with excavation complete at King West, Moss Park and Distillery District, and nearing completion at Chinatown.

“The Ontario Line will help to transform the GTA, making it faster and easier for residents to reach home, school or work,” said Gregor Robertson, federal Minister of Housing and Infrastructure. “By working together, we are building the first new subway line in Toronto in decades, and we are thrilled to see progress continue.”

Ontario is investing nearly $70 billion in public transit, including the largest subway expansion in Canadian history with the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and the Yonge North Subway Extension.

Quick Facts

• To make the Ontario Line easier to use and station names more recognizable for riders, the province has finalized names for four downtown stations that better reflect well-known Toronto neighbourhoods. King-Bathurst will now be known as King West, Queen-Spadina as Chinatown, Corktown as Distillery District and Riverside-Leslieville as Leslieville.
• Tunnelling for the Ontario Line’s twin downtown tunnels will start in phases with the first tunnel boring machine digging the tunnel for the eastbound track, followed by the second tunnel boring machine, which will dig the tunnel for the westbound track.
• The future Exhibition Station will connect directly to Exhibition Place, one of the most popular destinations in the country for sports, concerts and trade shows.
• The Ontario Line will support almost 390,000 daily boardings and reduce travel times from Thorncliffe Park to downtown Toronto from 40 to 25 minutes.
• Once complete, the Ontario Line will make it faster and easier to travel across the city — a trip from Pape and Danforth to Queen and University will take less than half the time, going from 25 minutes today to 12 minutes.
• During peak periods like the morning rush hour, the Ontario Line will reduce crowding by up to 15 per cent on the busiest stretch of TTC’s Line 1 between Bloor-Yonge and Wellesley.
• The Government of Canada is contributing over $4 billion toward the construction of the Ontario Line.

Quotes

“Under Premier Ford’s leadership, we are investing $236 billion to build and protect Ontario, including delivering new homes in vibrant, transit-oriented communities along the new Ontario Line. These TOCs will enable close to 15,000 new homes and support over 47,000 new jobs in retail and commercial spaces, making it easier than ever to connect to transit, work and recreation across the GTA.”– Todd McCarthy, Acting Minister of Infrastructure

“Today marks a major step forward as we begin tunnelling the Ontario Line through the heart of downtown Toronto. This project is part of a historic investment in public transit to fight gridlock, cut commute times and keep people moving across our city. As Mayor, I am committed to keeping the TTC affordable by freezing fares for three years while increasing service and improving reliability. We are introducing fare capping this year so Torontonians can ride more and pay less and advancing the design of the Scarborough East Rapid Transit Line, formerly the Eglinton East LRT. The city and province will continue working together to deliver affordable and safe transit that keeps Toronto moving.”– Olivia Chow, Mayor, Toronto

“Today’s start of tunnelling on the Ontario Line is a major milestone for Toronto. This project will connect communities, cut commute times, reduce congestion, and make everyday life more affordable and efficient for hundreds of thousands of people. Our government is proud to invest more than $4 billion in the Ontario Line as part of the largest public transit investment the federal government has ever made in the Greater Toronto Area. This is what building for the future looks like.”-Evan Solomon, Federal Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, and MP for Toronto Centre

“It’s been more than 60 years since we last tunnelled a subway in Toronto’s downtown core, so this is a very pivotal moment for the people of this great city. With excavation nearly complete for all downtown stations and major construction underway across the full length of the route, it’s undeniable that we’re full steam ahead on a rapid transit line that will put nearly 230,000 more people within walking distance of fast, reliable, modern rapid transit.”– Michael Lindsay, President and CEO, Metrolinx

“The start of tunnelling on the Ontario Line is a key milestone for Toronto and the region’s economy. Better transit connects workers to jobs and businesses to talent, takes cars off the road and boosts productivity and growth.”-Daniel Tisch, President and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce

“Naming Chinatown Station honours the Chinese railroad workers who laid tracks from sea to sea, binding Canada together. Their hands built the very routes that made this station possible — yet their names have long been absent from the landmarks they helped create. Chinatown Station will finally give history its proper stop.”-Tonny Louie,Chair, Chinatown BIA

“Almost 25 years ago, the Distillery District was a derelict industrial site. Today, it’s one of Toronto’s most vibrant cultural destinations. Dream Unlimited and Cityscape are proud to have helped shape this thriving community, and with the new Distillery District Station on the Ontario Line, we are excited to connect even more Torontonians with the Distillery District’s history, culture and vibrant future.”-Michael Cooper, Chief Responsible Officer, Dream Unlimited

“After years of BIA, resident group, stakeholder and Metrolinx collaboration, we are excited to welcome the new stations in East York that connect us and tourists to our vibrant and welcoming neighbourhoods. These new stations connect and support our greater goal of climate action, transit accessibility and main street economic support. These additions signify our growth to endless possibilities within Leslieville and Toronto’s east end.”-Christiane Tetreault, Board Chair, Leslieville BIA

“The new King West station name is a strong reflection of the neighbourhood’s identity and will help riders immediately connect with one of Toronto’s most vibrant destinations. More than a transit stop, it will serve as a key gateway into the King West neighbourhood and the broader Toronto Downtown West area, strengthening access to our community, supporting local businesses and creating an even more welcoming arrival point for the millions of visitors, workers and residents who experience our district annually.”-Dana Duncanson, Managing Director, Toronto Downtown West BIA

“The start of tunnelling for the Ontario Line is a historic milestone that showcases the incredible technical expertise and dedication of Ontario’s transit and rail industry. TRACCS Transit and Rail and our members are proud to be the boots on the ground delivering this transformative project, which is already supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs across the province. By reaching this stage — and by choosing station names that truly resonate with the local character of Toronto’s iconic neighbourhoods — we are collectively building a world-class network that is more intuitive, more connected and ready to meet the demands of a growing GTA.”– Mark Salsberg, Chair, TRACCS Transit and Rail