Eglinton Crosstown testing paused after ‘incident,’ Transportation Minister’s office says

"Out of Service" signs are shown on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto on Friday, May 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

The latest testing phase for the much-delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT has been temporarily paused following “an incident” last week, the province says.

On Oct. 7, Metrolinx began carrying out a 30-day “revenue service demonstration (RSD),” one of the final testing phases for the Crosstown project. The testing involves running empty trains along the 19-kilometre track in order to identify any outstanding issues.

“Following an incident late last week, RSD has been paused and will resume shortly to continuing testing along the line,” Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria’s office told CTV News Toronto Tuesday.

“Safety is at the forefront of everything we do and we continue to work with our partners at the TTC as progress on this critical project progresses.”

A report in The Toronto Star Tuesday cited a source as saying two trains collided at Mount Dennis Station on Oct. 16.

Sarkaria’s office did not provide any information about the incident that paused the RSD testing. The TTC, which will be responsible for operating the line, told CP24.com they had no information about the incident.

The Crosstown was supposed to open in 2020, but that date has been pushed back numerous times because of construction problems, lawsuits and quality checks.

Officials have repeatedly said they will not open the line until they are sure that they can do so safely.

In a statement Tuesday, transit user advocacy group TTCRiders expressed “outrage” over the latest delay.

“Transit is a public service,” TTCRiders Campaigns Manager August Puranauth said in the statement. “After over a decade of construction, the people who live in the community and will rely on this line deserve honesty, accountability, and a transit system that actually works.”

Puranauth said the line demonstrates that public-private partnerships don’t work for transit and said the group is calling for a public inquiry into the project’s failings.

Once the revenue service demonstration is complete, there will also be a “bedding-in period” for further testing to ensure reliability.

Officials said in June that a September 2025 opening for the line was conceivable if all went well.

Officials said in June that a September 2025 opening for the line was conceivable if all went well. However Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay said last month that there were still vehicle reliability and performance issues with the line and that they would not be sorted out by the end of September.

With files from Siobhan Morris