Friday, October 24, 2025
The Government Ontario and Metrolinx announced that Revenue Service Demonstration (RSD) for the Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) has been completed.
With the final 30-day “dry run” complete, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will assume full operational control of the line no later than November 3, 2025, with an opening date to be determined by the TTC as it trains staff and prepares to launch the new light rail service for the public.
“We are excited that the Finch West LRT’s revenue service demonstration (RSD) has successfully passed. This is a significant milestone for the project, which brings it closer to an opening date that will benefit the 51,000 daily riders expected to use the line. The TTC is to define a first day of service in the next few days,” said Michael Lindsay, president and CEO of Metrolinx.
The line, also known as Line 6 Finch West, includes two stations and 16 stops and will move more than 51,000 passengers each weekday, with 12-million annual trips expected by 2031. It runs on a dedicated, primarily street-level track, providing much-needed rapid transit to communities along Finch Avenue West and across the Greater Toronto Area.
Once open to the public, Line 6 Finch West will offer convenient connections to local and regional transit, including TTC buses, GO Transit, MiWay, York Region Transit and Brampton Züm, making transfers simple and affordable so people spend less time in traffic and more time at home.
“Our government is delivering on our promise to protect Ontario by building the transit our growing province needs,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “The Finch West LRT will cut commute times for hundreds of thousands of riders every week, connect to transit services across the region and create new economic opportunities along the line.”
The Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (ECLRT) is currently undergoing its own RSD. Upon successful completion of the RSD, the ECLRT will also be turned over to the TTC in preparation for the launch of passenger service.
In response to the delays surrounding the construction of the ECLRT, which began construction under the previous government in 2011, the current government has made a number of changes to cut red tape, speed up and bring predictability to the construction of transit projects, including the Finch West LRT, which began construction in 2019. These changes, which are helping the government deliver the largest expansion of public transit in North America, include:
- Using simpler, proven signal and power systems from other LRT projects to reduce design complexity and technical risk, making delivery, testing and commissioning smoother.
- Working collaboratively with building partners to identify critical funding for testing and commissioning and ensuring claims and legal barriers do not impact this process.
- Onboarding the maintenance provider earlier in the process to ensure the fleet and line are ready for service sooner.
On November 16, 2025, the the Mount Dennis GO and UP Station will open, connecting riders to GO Transit’s Kitchener Line and UP Express. In addition, Eglinton West Station will also open its fare-free underground pathway under Eglinton Avenue West, which will substantially reduce congestion at the intersection of Eglinton Avenue West and Allen Road and help pedestrians safely navigate the intersection. The ECLRT stations at Mount Dennis and Eglinton West will open to the public along with the rest of the line at a later date, at which point Eglinton West Station will be renamed Cedarvale Station.
Featured image: Humber College Station. (Metrolinx)
