The Chair of the TTC says there’s an opening date in sight for The Eglinton Crosstown, but it isn’t until summer 2025.
According to multiple reports, the long delayed, massively over budget train line is tentatively set to open on June 1.
Scarborough North Councillor Jamaal Myers said on Wednesday to the media it is the earliest possible date that the nearly 20 km railway would be fully operational.
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Currently, the operation of the line is contingent on the completion of operator training, which includes a month-long trial to iron out kinks in the service, which Myers says will take until at least June to complete, CBC reports, adding that Metrolinx has not confirmed if that is a realistic timeline.
Construction on the line began in 2011, and was supposed to finish in 2020. However, a series of budgetary issues have caused the project to be repeatedly delayed for more than a decade.
Back in 2011, the province put initial cost estimations at $9.1 billion, but CBC says by 2022 the project was $3.7 billion over budget.
It faced further challenges last year when former Metrolinx president and CEO Phil Verster revealed that builders were working on fixing about 260 quality control issues along the 25-stop line, including improperly laid tracks.
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Verster resigned suddenly from his position, which he held for seven years, on Monday, and effective Dec.16, will be replaced by Michael Lindsay, the CEO of Infrastructure Ontario, who was appointed interim leader by Premier Ford.
According to transit advocacy group More Transit Southern Ontario, Lindsay will prioritize completing the plagued undertaking.
Prior to his resignation, Verster did not give any indication of when he believed the line would open.
