Friday, April 17, 2026
The Government of Ontario announced tunnelling has begun on the Ontario Line subway project.
“The start of tunnelling is a historic milestone for the Ontario Line which, once complete, will help cut travel times for commuters across Toronto by 40 minutes,” said Premier Doug Ford.
Two tunnel boring machines are digging twin tunnels from Exhibition Station toward the Don Yard near the Don Valley Parkway and Lakeshore Boulevard, as deep as 40 metres below the surface. At the Don Yard, Ontario Line trains will emerge from the tunnels and continue east above ground across the Lower Don Bridge. Once complete, the 15.6-kilometre Ontario Line will run from Exhibition Place to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Don Mills Road, with 15 stations and more than 40 transit connections.
The Ontario Line is No. 7 on ReNew Canada’s 2026 Top100 Projects report.
Major construction is also underway at Exhibition Station, where crews are building platforms and station entrances on both sides of the track. Exhibition Station will connect riders to GO Transit and bring subway service to the fast-growing Liberty Village neighbourhood, putting thousands more people within walking distance of transit and supporting more than 17,000 nearby jobs. During rush hour, more than 12,000 people are expected to use the station, including more than 6,000 transferring between GO Transit and the Ontario Line.
“It’s been more than 60 years since we last tunnelled a subway in Toronto’s downtown core, so this is a very pivotal moment for the people of this great city. With excavation nearly complete for all downtown stations and major construction underway across the full length of the route, it’s undeniable that we’re full steam ahead on a rapid transit line that will put nearly 230,000 more people within walking distance of fast, reliable, modern rapid transit,” said Michael Lindsay, president and CEO, Metrolinx.
Major progress is also being made at several downtown stations, with excavation complete at King West, Moss Park and Distillery District, and nearing completion at Chinatown.
“The Ontario Line will help to transform the GTA, making it faster and easier for residents to reach home, school or work,” said Gregor Robertson, federal Minister of Housing and Infrastructure. “By working together, we are building the first new subway line in Toronto in decades, and we are thrilled to see progress continue.”
Chinatown Station. (Government of Ontario)
To make the Ontario Line easier to use and station names more recognizable for riders, the province has finalized names for four downtown stations that better reflect well-known Toronto neighbourhoods. King-Bathurst will now be known as King West, Queen-Spadina as Chinatown, Corktown as Distillery District and Riverside-Leslieville as Leslieville.
Tunnelling for the Ontario Line’s twin downtown tunnels will start in phases with the first tunnel boring machine digging the tunnel for the eastbound track, followed by the second tunnel boring machine, which will dig the tunnel for the westbound track.
“Today marks a major step forward as we begin tunnelling the Ontario Line through the heart of downtown Toronto. This project is part of a historic investment in public transit to fight gridlock, cut commute times and keep people moving across our city. As Mayor, I am committed to keeping the TTC affordable by freezing fares for three years while increasing service and improving reliability. We are introducing fare capping this year so Torontonians can ride more and pay less and advancing the design of the Scarborough East Rapid Transit Line, formerly the Eglinton East LRT. The city and province will continue working together to deliver affordable and safe transit that keeps Toronto moving,” said Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.
Featured image: (Government of Ontario)
