Toronto Line 5 extension crews have begun excavating four underground station boxes, marking a new construction phase for the 9.2-kilometre route to Renforth Drive in western Toronto.

Toronto Line 5 Extension Advances at Stations
Photo: www.metrolinx.com

Toronto Line 5 extension excavation reaches four sites

Metrolinx announced on July 13 that work is underway at the future Martin Grove, Kipling, Islington and Royal York stations. Crews are excavating the station boxes, the main underground structures that will form the body of each station. 

Those four sites make up the underground portion of the seven-station project. The completed route will also include elevated stations at Scarlett Road and Jane Street, while Renforth Drive will have an open-air terminus. According to the official construction update⁠, work is also progressing on the final tunnels into Mount Dennis and on the elevated guideway. 

The excavation phase creates space for permanent station structures and brings several major civil-work packages forward at the same time. Metrolinx did not provide an opening date in its July update.

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Toronto Line 5 extension links seven new stations

The extension will run mainly underground from Mount Dennis Station to Renforth Drive, continuing Line 5 west through Etobicoke and into Mississauga. Its project overview⁠ lists connections with UP Express, the Kitchener GO line, TTC buses and MiWay and GO Transit services on the Mississauga Transitway. 

Metrolinx expects the seven new stations to bring rapid transit within walking distance of 37,500 more residents and 23,600 more jobs. The agency also forecasts up to 69,700 daily rides after the extension enters service. 

Infrastructure Ontario says the programme is divided among four major contracts covering two advance-tunnelling packages, the elevated guideway, and stations, rail and systems. The latter package includes track, signalling, communications, traction power, tunnel ventilation and guideway fit-out under a progressive design-build contract⁠. 

Station excavation therefore represents a visible milestone within a broader programme that must integrate civil works, railway systems and existing transport connections before passenger operations can begin.

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