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Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario (IO) have issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for stations on the Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown West Extension. Besides the stations, the RFQ targets the rail and systems, making up what's called an SRS package, for the design, construction, and commissioning of the extension's seven stations.
Primarily underground but with an elevated guideway over the Humber Valley, the extension will add 9.2 km to the length of the Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown LRT, taking it from the soon-to-open Mount Dennis station at Weston Road west through York and Etobicoke to Renforth Drive at the city limits of Toronto and Mississauga, close to Pearson International Airport. The initial portion of Line 5 is grade separated from traffic from Mount Dennis station, mostly underground to nearly Leslie Street where it will have a surface stop, A final underground station is waiting to open at Don Mills Road before the line rises to the surface permanently, running to Kennedy subway and GO station in Scarborough, in reserved space in the median of Eglinton Avenue. The line will connect with the UP Express, GO Transit, Lines 1 and 2 subways, and many TTC bus routes.
The extension's seven stations will bring an additional 37,500 people within walking distance of rapid transit, along with 23,600 jobs, significantly enhancing access for 4,800 low-income residents. It is expected that up to 6.5 million car trips will annually be replaced by the line, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 5,800 tonnes.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow expressed at the announcement that the RFQ is “another sign of progress in delivering good, reliable transit across the city.”
The seven stations, from west to east, are outlined below:
Renforth will be built in a trench immediately north of the most easterly stop on the Mississauga Transitway, a bus-only road that provides Bus Rapid Transit Service to MiWay and GO buses from the eastern edge of Mississauga to Square One in the centre, and then to Erin Mills in the west. The station location will facilitate easy transfers to MiWay, GO, and local TTC buses. Tunnelling for the extension began here in April, 2022.
Martin Grove is designed as a below-grade facility at the northeast corner of Martin Grove Avenue and Eglinton Avenue West where four neighbourhoods meet: West Deane Park, Willowridge, Princess Margaret, and Richview Park. Besides the Eglinton 32A bus, it will offer connections to the East Mall 111 and Martin Grove 46 TTC bus routes.
Kipling-Eglinton, another below-grade station, will be on the northwest corner of those two streets, where the neighbourhoods of Richview Park, Princess Margarret, Princess Abbe Manor, and Richmond Gardens meet. Besides the Eglinton 32A bus, it will offer connections to the 45 Kipling TTC bus.
Islington-Eglinton is also set to be underground, at the northwest corner of those two streets, where the neighbourhoods of Richmond Gardens, Princess Anne Manor, Eden Valley, and Royal York Gardens meet. Besides the Eglinton 32A bus, it will offer connections to the Islington 37 TTC bus.
5. Royal York-Eglinton Station
Royal York-Eglinton, another a below-grade facility, will be at the northwest corner of those roads, where the neighbourhoods of Royal York Gardens, Edenbridge, and Westmount meet. Besides the Eglinton 32A bus, it will offer connections to the Royal York 73 TTC bus.
Having risen to the surface and then onto an elevated guideway, Scarlett will bridge across that road on the north side of Eglinton, with entrances from either side of Scarlett Road. Where the neighbourhoods of Westmount and Edenbridge meet, to the east is the Humber River and its extensive ravine parks system. While the PanAm Trail that runs beside the Humber River crosses Eglinton Avenue here, all stations along the west extension are also close to the bike and pedestrian trails running alongside Eglinton Avenue as well. The station will also offer connections to the Scarlett 79 TTC bus as well as the Eglinton 32A.
Jane-Eglinton is the other elevated station, found amidst the Eglinton Flats parkland. It will boast entrances on the west and east sides of Jane Street north of Eglinton. Besides the Eglinton 32A and D buses, the station will also offer connections to the Jane 35 TTC bus.
While the RFQ proceeds, in the meantime an interactive map of the tunnel boring machines' progress shows that the twin machines, Rexy and Renny, are close to completing that stage of the work. As of publication day, Renny, creating the eastbound tunnel, has reached the west side of Royal York station, while Rexy, creating the westbound tunnel, is now halfway between Royal York Road and the portal west of Scarlett Road. We should therefore be seeing news of the TBMs surfacing again over the coming weeks.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on these developments, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database files, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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