Ontario Line Subway Project Reaches Key Milestone with Excavation at Exhibition Station
TORONTO – The Ontario government has launched excavation work for the Ontario Line subway tunnels at Exhibition Station, marking significant progress in the ambitious project to transform transit across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The milestone highlights the province’s commitment to reducing commute times and improving transit accessibility for nearly 230,000 residents.
The newly started 16-metre-deep launch shaft at Exhibition Station will serve as the entry point for two tunnel boring machines tasked with excavating a six-kilometre stretch eastward to the Don Yard, located west of the Don River. Once tunneling is complete, the shaft will be converted into a tunnel portal, enabling Ontario Line trains to seamlessly transition between above-ground and below-ground tracks.
“It’s been more than 60 years since the first subway tunnels were built in downtown Toronto,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “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.”
I was joined by @KingaSurmaMPP and @CHogarthPC to announce the start of excavation for the tunnel boring machine shaft for the Ontario Line subway tunnels at Exhibition Station – marking the first subway tunnel built in the downtown core in 60 years.
Under Premier… pic.twitter.com/Owkfn3DJTx
— Prabmeet Sarkaria (@PrabSarkaria) November 22, 2024
The Ontario Line, touted as a transformative transit initiative, is a centerpiece of Ontario’s largest subway expansion in history. When complete, it will connect Exhibition Place in the west to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Don Mills Road in the east, cutting the current 70-minute commute to just 30 minutes or less. The line will also integrate with more than 40 other transit services, including subways, buses, streetcars, and GO trains.
Federal officials emphasized the importance of the Ontario Line to Toronto’s future. “The Ontario Line subway is part of one of the biggest partnerships to construct public transportation in Canadian history,” said the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
Exhibition Station is set to become a vital transit hub, accommodating both Ontario Line trains and existing GO rail services. The Ontario Line is part of the province’s Transportation Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, which also includes the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, and the Yonge North Subway Extension.
As construction progresses, the Ontario government remains focused on delivering a transit solution that will ease congestion, support economic growth, and improve the quality of life for residents in Toronto and the surrounding regions.
