What is The Crosstown?

The Crosstown is one of the largest – and most ambitious – infrastructure projects in North America. It will support future growth across Canada’s biggest and fastest-growing city.

It's a 19-kilometre light rail transit line (LRT) that will run through the heart of Toronto. Running along Eglinton Avenue, the LRT will connect west to east from Jane Street/Black Creek Drive to Kennedy Station. Ten kilometres will be tunnelled underground between Keele Street and Laird Drive and will continue east on an at-grade right-of-way separated from traffic to Kennedy Station, where it will join with a converted Scarborough RT line on an elevated structure. Construction of The Crosstown began in the summer of 2011, and has a projected completion date of 2020.

The Crosstown will cut travel time significantly and conveniently link to 54 local bus routes, three TTC interchange subway station and GO Transit. Travel along The Crosstown from Kennedy to Black Creek Drive will be significantly faster and more comfortable than current bus travel. It's modern, fast, reliable, comfortable and environmentally friendly.

All Crosstown stations will accept the new PRESTO payment card system. Light-rail vehicles will feature low floors. Stations will have a main entrance with elevators, making the system accessible to all passengers.

Funded by the Province of Ontario through Metrolinx – the government agency working to improve public transit throughout the GTA and Hamilton – The Crosstown is a key part of a 10-year investment of $8.4-billion to enhance transit in Toronto. It will create thousands of construction jobs and provide lasting economic benefits to Toronto and its surrounding region, including through using many local suppliers and contractors. The Crosstown is one of four new light rail transit lines being built in Toronto.

One such example is the purchase of the tunnel boring machines. Manufactured by Caterpillar (formerly Lovat Inc.), a world leader in machine manufacturing, Caterpillar will provide four tunnel boring machines that are being manufactured in Etobicoke. As well, Munro Concrete Products Ltd, located in Essa Townships, Simcoe County will provide tunnel liners for The Crosstown.