We rode the whole length of the Eglinton Crosstown on opening day. Here’s how long it took

CP24's Joshua Freeman rode the Eglinton Crosstown LRT from end-to-end on opening day, sharing his thoughts about Line 5's service.

Throngs of riders and transit enthusiasts came out to experience the long-awaited opening of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT (Line 5) Sunday, lining up in the frigid weather to take a ride.

CP24 was there too, riding the entire 19-kilometre line between Mount Dennis and Kennedy stations to see what the experience was like. Here’s how it went.

Stations are shiny and clean, but cold

The first thing that strikes you at Mount Dennis Station is how clean and new everything feels. While some of these stations have been complete for months, or even years, they have never been open for full service before now.

The high ceilings, coupled with the glass and concrete design and new signage, give the impression of a modern transit station. It’s a far cry from some of the older subway stations on the TTC, which have a decidedly post-apocalyptic feel to them.

The next thing riders are likely to notice, however, is the temperature. Both Mount Dennis and Kennedy stations were freezing, even in areas that seemed completely indoors.

Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay told reporters last week they would be warmer once service started. But people could easily see their breath while waiting in the stations. The only area that appeared to have any heat were the bathrooms, presumably to prevent the pipes from freezing.

An enthusiastic ridership

Many of those who came out on opening day were self-described transit enthusiasts. Armed with cameras, they came with friends, pets and loved ones to see the new line in action.

“It was actually better than I expected,” said Claudette, who rode the entire line with her pooch, Kayla.

As someone who drives along Eglinton every day, she said she’s pleased that construction is over so that she no longer gets nails in her tires.

After riding the full line, she said it’s a service she would use when she gives up driving as a senior.

Another enthusiastic rider told CP24 he was just a toddler when construction started on the Crosstown. Now, at 20 years old, he said he’s hoping the line will improve connectivity across the transit system.

Exploring the stations, that seems to be the case. Mount Dennis offers connections to TTC buses, the Kitchener GO line and the UP Express service, which can bring commuters downtown to Union Station in about 12 minutes, or to the airport in about 16 minutes.

Kennedy Station offers connections to Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) as well as TTC buses and the Stouffville GO line.

The connections are fairly close, underground, and well-marked.

The vehicles

Like the stations, the Crosstown vehicles are also shiny and modern. Anyone who has taken a ride on a TTC streetcar will be greeted by a familiar layout.

Similar to the streetcars, the seats feature thin cloth coverings, but with a different pattern and colouring.

There are maps of the system throughout the vehicles, but they don’t light up the way maps do on the city’s subways. Instead, the next station is indicated by a scrawl on electronic signs as well as announcements through the PA system.

Unlike the stations, the temperature control on the vehicles seems pretty good, with warm conditions inside despite the frigid temperatures.

The vehicles seemed to be running quite well throughout most of the day. Passengers on one packed vehicle at Kennedy Station were told to go back and wait on the platform after the vehicle was taken out of service because someone vomited on board. That resulted in a delay of about 15 minutes for those who were waiting, but it was likely an unforeseeable event.

The ride

Something riders will definitely notice, especially when switching from the subway, is that the ride is quite smooth on the Crosstown. There were no screechy sounds or jarring stops and turns.

In terms of speed, the vehicles felt like they were going about as fast as they were meant to. The Crosstown matched vehicular traffic on Eglinton Avenue in some stretches above ground, though it was definitely slower in some other parts.

“I rode the Finch LRT a couple of months ago and this felt a lot smoother and faster than that was,” said one rider named David, who rode the entire line. “I’m not sure what the actual speed was, but it felt like it was moving at a reasonable rate.”

The ride was about as comfortable as one would expect a streetcar to be, though perhaps smoother.

When it comes to cellular service, riders will be pleased to discover that signal strength remained strong throughout the trip, a welcome feature for those looking to make the most of their commutes.

While some modern transit vehicles offer USB charging for cellphones, that is not a feature on the Crosstown vehicles.

How long does it take to ride the Crosstown?

In all, it took a little less than 55 minutes to go from Mount Dennis to Kennedy on the Crosstown over roughly the noon hour on opening day. Other riders who rode the line reported similar times, with one saying it took a little less than 50 minutes.

At that rate, a rider travelling the entire line is going at around 23 km/h over the whole 25-stop trip.

There was at least one wait for vehicles to make a left-hand turn in the above-ground stretch approaching Kennedy Station. However, it did not cause a lengthy delay.

Officials have said that transit signal priority will be rolled out on the line in the coming weeks, with full implementation by May.