TORONTO, Canada – The Ontario government has broken ground on the second tunnel launch shaft near the site of the future Gerrard Station on the Ontario Line, marking another milestone in the province’s plan to protect Ontario by creating jobs, cutting commute times across the Greater Toronto Area and bringing nearly 230,000 more people within walking distance of public transit.
“The Ontario Line will introduce all-new rapid transit to the Gerrard and Carlaw community and surrounding neighbourhoods, part of our nearly $70 billion investment to deliver the largest transit expansion in North America,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, minister of transportation. “In the face of US tariffs and economic uncertainty, we are protecting Ontario’s economy by building the next generation of subway service that will create thousands of good-paying jobs and fuel long-term economic growth.”
From the launch shaft, tunnel boring machines will travel north, digging three kilometres of twin tunnels underneath Pape Avenue. The launch shaft will eventually serve as the tunnel portal, where Ontario Line trains will move from above-ground tracks to the underground tunnels. Gerrard Station, located just south of the launch shaft and future portal, will put nearly 12,000 people within walking distance of the Ontario Line, with over 3,000 passengers expected to use the station during rush hour every day.
Once complete, the Ontario Line will deliver quick, convenient subway service to Riverdale and many residents across the east end for the first time. A trip across the city from Exhibition Place to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Don Mills Road will take 30 minutes or less compared to the hour and 10 minutes it takes today.
The Ontario Line will also offer more than 40 connections to TTC subways, buses and streetcars, as well as regional train services, bringing nearly 230,000 more people within walking distance of transit.
Quick facts
- The 15.6-kilometre Ontario Line will have 15 stations, running from Exhibition Place through the downtown core and connecting to the Line 5 Eglinton at Don Mills Road.
- During peak periods like the morning rush hour, the Ontario Line will reduce crowding by up to 15 per cent on the busiest stretch of TTC’s Line 1 between Bloor-Yonge and Wellesley.
- The Ontario Line will support 4,700 jobs annually during construction.
- As part of the Transportation Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Ontario is investing nearly $70 billion over the next decade to build public transit, including the largest subway expansion in Canadian history – the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and the Yonge North Subway Extension.
