Eglinton Crosstown Backgrounder

Eglinton Crosstown station and stops.

An artist's rendering of the Cedarvale Station.

Extraction of cutter head at Yonge and Eglinton.

Construction of Mount Dennis Station Main Entrance.

The Eglinton Crosstown is a light rail transit line that will run along Eglinton Avenue between Mount Dennis (Weston Road) and Kennedy station. This 19-kilometre corridor will include a 10-kilometre underground portion, between Keele Street and Laird Drive.

The Crosstown will have up to 25 stations and stops. It will link to 54 bus routes, three subway stations and various GO Transit lines.

The Crosstown will provide fast, reliable and convenient transit by carrying passengers in dedicated right-of-way transit lanes separate from regular traffic.

The vehicles will use the PRESTO proof-of-payment system and will have multiple entrances and low floors to ensure fast and accessible boarding.

Light rail vehicles can travel as fast as 80km/hr. However, actual speed is determined by the spacing of the stops and the speed limits of surrounding traffic. 

The projected ridership of the Crosstown is 5,500 passengers per hour in the peak period per direction by 2031. The capacity of the Crosstown vehicles is 15,000 passengers per hour per direction. Cars can be removed or added easily, thus providing the flexibility to accommodate ridership demands.

Light rail transit is a proven technology that is used around the world, including extremely cold places such as Edmonton, Calgary and Minneapolis.

The Crosstown is a $5.3 billion (2010$) investment from the Government of Ontario to expand transit in Toronto. It is the largest transit expansion in the history of Toronto’s history.

The Crosstown is currently under construction and will be complete by 2021.

Sample travel times:

View in pdf.