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Ontario Line

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More Than Just Rush Hour Relief

The proposed Ontario Line will connect the city like never before. It will be more than just a subway to alleviate crowding on TTC Line 1 – it will be a link to communities across Toronto. From east to west, north to south, from Ontario Place to the Ontario Science Centre, there’s never been a connection in the heart of the city like this one will be. Getting downtown from previously underserved areas will be a breeze, and there will be more trains arriving at stations more frequently. Think of it as downtown relief when you need it.

As we prepare for population increases in Toronto and across the GTA, Metrolinx will be building vital, fast, reliable transit solutions to serve everyone across the region.

15
Stops

16
Kilometres

389,000
Daily Boardings

Where Will the Subway Stop?

With fifteen potential stations between Ontario Place and Ontario Science Centre and potential links to GO Transit and TTC Lines 1 and 2, the Ontario Line will open up the city for all residents to live, work and play the way they want to, when they want.

All alignments, stations, locations, names and quantity of stations are conceptual and subject to change.

More Transit for More Communities - Sooner

The Ontario Line will bring more transit to more in-need communities sooner than previous plans would have by using a mix of at-grade (surface) track, elevated guideways and underground tunnels. This type of approach comes with many benefits, including:

  • Shorter construction timelines – Limiting the amount of tunnelling and excavation needed for the project reduces its complexity, which in turn helps reduce construction timelines. This will be done by aligning Ontario Line operations within sections of existing above-ground rail corridors in the western and eastern segments of the line, and along elevated structures in the northern segment. In communities like Leslieville, we are also able to streamline our work with existing GO Expansion plans along the rail corridor, which reduces the number of construction zones and related impacts in the surrounding community.
  • Faster and more convenient transfers – Customers using at-grade stations will be able to get where they need to go sooner by avoiding lengthy journeys underground and by taking advantage of faster transfers to other surface transit routes. For instance, an underground East Harbour station would have needed to be built nearly 40 metres underground to reach under the Don River. This very deep station would have added 4.5 minutes to each transfer, adding significant time to people’s commutes.
  • More rapid transit for more communities – The use of existing rail corridors and elevated structures means we can extend the Ontario Line investment farther and reach transit-deprived communities sooner. These include the growing and vibrant neigbourhoods of Flemingdon Park, Thorncliffe Park, Liberty Village and Fort York, which were not included in the former Relief Line South plans. While it will be more than twice as long as the previous Relief Line South proposal, it can be built for a similar cost.

Running along a mix of above-ground and underground tracks is not a new approach --- the TTC has done this with Line 1, Line 2 and Line 3, and many other transit systems have adopted it to deliver superior rapid transit within impressive timeframes. For example, the majority of stations and tracks for world-class transit services like Vancouver’s SkyTrain network and London, England’s Docklands Light Railway system are above ground. Since those systems began in the 80s, the SkyTrain has become the longest rapid transit system in Canada and the Docklands Light Railway system has grown to nearly 40 kilometres’ worth of track.

Convenience Across the Line

As the city expands and develops more housing in the region, more residents will likely be within 10-minutes walking distance to the stops on the Ontario Line, making the commute across the city a better experience overall.

Faster Commutes

The Ontario Line will likely deliver up to 40 trains per hour, as frequently as every 90 seconds, providing shorter wait times for customers and faster daily commutes. With quicker travel times and more options to move, you’ll have more time for life, family and things that bring you joy.

Less Crowding

The completed line could provide relief and possibly reduce crowding by an estimated 15% on the busiest stretch along TTC’s Line 1. Crowding may be reduced at numerous stations across the network including:

  • 19% less crowding at Bloor/Yonge Station
  • 17% less crowding at Eglinton Station
  • 16% less crowding at Union Station

Source: GGHm v4.
Comparison with Business As Usual scenario.

Proposed Plan

*approximate numbers based on current plans for the project

Number of proposed stations 15
Number of proposed connections to other transit options 17
  • 3 GO lines
  • 4 connections to Line 1, 2 and Line 5 (Eglinton Crosstown)
  • Connections to streetcar lines at 10 Ontario Line stations
Approximate number of route kms 16km
Approximate ridership 389,000 daily boardings
Approximate service As frequent as every 90 seconds
Approximate access to transit 154,000 more people within walking distance to transit
Approximate access to jobs 53,000 more jobs accessible in 45 minutes or less for Toronto residents

Get Involved

Your opinion matters. You can always share thoughts, questions or comments on the project by emailing ontarioline@metrolinx.com

Milestones

Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together to deliver the Ontario Line and released the Initial Business Case for the project in July 2019. Planning for the project continues, including due diligence work, further refining the design and engineering work and seeking environmental approvals

On June 2, 2020 Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx issued two Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) for the Southern Civil, Stations & Tunnels contract and the Rolling Stock, Systems, Operations and Maintenance contract - marking the first phase of procurement for the Ontario Line.

On September 17, 2020 Metrolinx published the Draft Environmental Conditions Report. This report characterizes existing environmental conditions within the Ontario Line study area. This report also provides a preliminary description of potential impacts the Project may have on the environment, potential mitigation and monitoring activities. You can view the full report and leave your feedback by visiting MetrolinxEngage.com/ontarioline

Stay tuned to this page for future project updates.

In The News

Community Notices

Whole Line

West Segment

Downtown Segment

East Segment

North Segment