The TTC introduces new rapid-transit service along Line 5 Eglinton this Sunday, February 8. This marks the final step toward launching full, regularly scheduled service after the new line “demonstrates a high degree of reliability and performance.”

This phased opening of the Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit line allows passengers to benefit from rapid transit along Eglinton Avenue, while the TTC and Metrolinx fine-tune operations in live-service conditions to deliver consistent and dependable service. During this introductory service period, the TTC says, riders may notice service adjustments, as real-world operating conditions emerge with public use. The TTC will continue to share updates as it achieves key milestones and will announce the start of full service, once all partners are confident about the line’s performance.

Phased openings for new LRT lines were a key recommendation in the 2022 final report of the public inquiry into the Ottawa LRT launch. The TTC is also using this phased approach for Line 6 Finch West, which started its introductory service period Sunday, December 7.

During the introductory service phase, Line 5 trains operate from 5:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, Saturdays and holidays and from 7:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. Sundays. Trains arrive in stations about every four minutes during the busiest periods, and every six to eight minutes at other times.

From 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., Line 5 shuttle buses replace the trains, operating every 10 minutes. The buses drop off or pick up passengers in the bus terminals at Kennedy, Eglinton, Cedarvale and Mount Dennis stations, as they would under normal shuttle-bus operations. At all other stations, the Line 5 Shuttle Bus service will serve passengers at on-street stops near Line 5 LRT stations on the Eglinton Avenue corridor.

Buses along the 334 Eglinton overnight route serve passengers at those stops from 1 a.m. until the start of daily train service every morning.

Full schedule details below:  

In the event of service disruptions during the introductory period, the TTC says it will deploy shuttle buses to keep passengers moving.

Line 5 Eglinton includes 25 stations and stops between Mount Dennis (Weston Road) and Kennedy stations. It will connect with Lines 1 and 2, multiple TTC bus routes, and two GO Transit lines.

On-board fare payment is not available.

Tap your PRESTO, credit or debit card or your mobile wallet before boarding the vehicle. At a surface station, you can tap your PRESTO card or ticket, debit or credit card, or mobile wallet on a PRESTO reader on the platform for proof-of-payment and the two-hour transfer. If paying cash, you can deposit coins into the single-ride vending machine on the platform and take a paper transfer as proof of payment.

At an underground station, pay the same way you do at a subway station: tap your PRESTO card or ticket, debit or credit card or mobile wallet on the reader on a fare gate. If paying cash, deposit payment into the fare box and take a paper transfer as proof of payment.

If you’re boarding a Line 5 shuttle bus, pay when you board (the same as you would on any other bus or streetcar) — either by tapping your physical or virtual card or depositing cash in the fare box.

This Sunday, service along Line 5 Eglinton is free of fare. The first westbound train starts its trip in Kennedy Station at 7:30 a.m. The first eastbound train starts from Mount Dennis Station at 7:37 a.m. The TTC isn’t hosting a grand-opening event.

According to a TTC news release, “the TTC serves as the operator for Line 5 Eglinton, bringing more than a century of expertise as North America’s third busiest public transit agency. Under agreements with Metrolinx and the City of Toronto, the TTC is responsible for operating trains, providing security and revenue control, and staffing stations to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction. The line’s infrastructure and vehicles are maintained by Crosslinx Transit Solutions (CTS), under contract to Metrolinx. As operator, the TTC works in close partnership with Metrolinx, the City, and project partners to deliver safe, reliable, and efficient service, integrating Line 5 Eglinton into Toronto’s broader transit.”

The TTC is also extensively revising its bus-route network, introducing new routes and revising current routes to connect with Line 5, starting February 8.