Toronto's Ontario Line Subway May Be Delayed

- The project's cost has significantly increased since its announcement in 2019. Initially estimated at $10.9 billion for construction, the cost to build and operate the line had risen to an estimated $27.2 billion by June 2024. - The original completion date of 2027 has been pushed back multiple times. By 2022, the target had been moved to 2031, and as of early 2026, officials will only commit to a completion sometime in the "early 2030s". - The 15.6-kilometre line is planned to have 15 stations and will run from Exhibition Place to the Ontario Science Centre, connecting with multiple existing and future transit lines. - Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay has cited lessons learned from the heavily delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT project as a reason for not committing to a firm opening date for the Ontario Line. The testing and commissioning phase of a project can cause significant delays even after construction is complete. - Construction is visibly underway across the city, with major work at future station sites like Exhibition, King-Bathurst, and Queen, as well as the demolition and replacement of the Queen Street East rail bridge. A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held in March 2022. - The Ontario Line is a key part of a wider, $70-billion transit expansion plan in the Greater Toronto Area, which also includes the Scarborough Subway Extension and the Yonge North Subway Extension. - The project is being delivered through multiple contracts, including agreements for the southern and northern tunnels and stations, as well as for the rolling stock (trains) and systems. - Upon opening, the Ontario Line is expected to be designated as "Line 3", a name previously used by the now-decommissioned Scarborough RT.