Eglinton Crosstown LRT vehicles were involved in two different collisions over the past week, including one that left a woman with critical injuries, despite the line still not having an open date in sight.
On Wednesday afternoon, one train was involved in an incident in North York after being hit by a vehicle during testing.
According to Toronto police, the incident happened shortly after 4 p.m. near Eglinton Ave. E. and Swift Dr., and resulted in property damage but no injuries.
The accident comes after another Eglinton LRT hit a 64-year-old woman also during testing on Saturday afternoon, near the same area.
Police say the woman was standing at an above-ground LRT platform on Eglinton Ave. E. and Pharmacy Ave., when she was struck by a westbound train, which left her with life-threatening injuries.
A Metrolix spokesperson told Now Toronto that the transit agency is currently working with emergency services and TTC to review the incidents and monitor the line as testing continues.
“Safety has always been a top priority throughout the design, construction and testing of this project. As with LRTs in other jurisdictions, there are crossing signals and signage along the line, as well as audible safety cues, like gong signals and horns, to alert pedestrians and other vehicles,” the spokesperson said on Thursday.
The agency is also working to wrap up 45 LRT trains with “safety messaging” and organizing education initiatives in the community.
“Most recently, light rail was also integrated into our Rail Safety Week 2024 initiatives – the campaign focused on how drivers navigate around the new guideway and tracks with safe and legal left turns, recognizing traffic versus transit signals and pedestrian safety in the above ground portion of the line,” the spokesperson added.
Although Ontario Premier Doug Ford said earlier this year that commuters could expect to see the LRT up and running by September, TTC interim CEO Greg Percy later said he thought the deadline was ‘a reach.’
As September approaches, there is currently no official opening date for the LRT, which has been under construction for 14 years.
Read More
Last week, Metrolinx President and CEO Michael Lindsay told reporters that the LRT vehicles are still undergoing test runs, revealing new possible issues with the line.
Since construction for the LRT started in 2011, Lindsay now says that the age of the vehicles might be a problem.
“These vehicles are 10 years old, they’re only just now beginning to run the kilometres intended for revenue service, and as we do that, we find out what their maintenance profile is. We get a better picture of how to keep them in service so that we can build the availability of vehicles to a level that can meet the capacity,” he said during an announcement.
The CEO also said that Metrolinx might be “few weeks away” from confirming whether the vehicles are safe and reliable, as it plans to organize a 30-day service demonstration.
“If that works, then we will declare substantial completion of the project towards the end of September, and then we will work with both the Government of Ontario and TTC to think about the progressive ramp-up of service,” Lindsay told reporters.
