First Day of the Finch West LRT:

 

Prologue:

 

            The TTC had started building two LRT lines. One was on Eglinton going from Kennedy Station to Mount Dennis which is east of Weston Road. The line was supposed to open in 2021.Howver the line has been delayed multiple times. At the time I wrote this report an opening date STILL hasn’t been announced.

 

            Another LRT line was being built on Finch Avenue between the Finch West station on the Spadina subway to Humber College. When the Finch West station was built they had hallowed out a section for the proposed Finch West LRT.

 

 

Here’s the entrance to the Finch West LRT when Finch West station opened in 2017.

 

            Testing eventually began on the Eglinton and Finch West LRT lines however no opening date for either line was announced. Eventually, TTC and Metrolinx announced that the Finch West line would open on December 7^th. I asked for the day off work to attend the first day. This occurred a few months after my Dad and I moved out of my childhood home.

 

December 7, 2025:

 

            I left my apartment and walked to Don Mills Station. My new apartment is as close to Don Mills station on the Sheppard line as the nearest VIVA bus stop to my former house. I bought a TTC day pass and boarded a train. I rode to Sheppard-Yonge and transferred to a bus on route #84. I rode across to Sheppard West and then boarded a train to Finch West. I photographed an updated subway map that included the new Finch West line and the presently unopened Eglinton line.

 

 

            I got off at Finch West and walked to where the Finch West line boards. I took some photos.

 

 

 

            This was where I had seen when I toured the Spadina Subway extension back in 2017. It looked better than it did as a roughed in section.

 

            I went to the platform and photographed a train in the station. For some reason, I was under the belief that the line would run two car trains. However there was a single car in the station. The platform also was built to only accommodate one car trains. I guess the two car train belief was the Mandela Effect.  I photographed the train in the station.

 

 

            The train uses Alstom LRVs similar to the ones that run on the Confederation Line in Ottawa.

 

 

The Finch West cars are similar to these cars in Ottawa.

 

            When the Eglinton Line eventually does open, it will use Bombardier cars similar to what is used by ION in Kitchener. TTC went with Alstom because Bombardier wasn’t reliable for delivering cars as it took five years to deliver all 204 streetcars to TTC. However with the delays during the construction, it didn’t end up being a concern.

 

            The train departed and we headed out. I noticed the car was full. I did get a seat though.

 

            The line has 18 stations. One of the stations is at the intersection of Jane and Finch. While there are a couple smaller malls there, the intersection has had a bad reputation due to crime. However in the times I’ve been there before the LRT was built; I’ve never had a problem. However I didn’t stick around for too long.

 

            I rode the line to Mount Olive station where I got off and filmed the train pulling out. I attempted to photograph the train but my camera malfunctioned. I would eventually fix it though. I took a few pictures.

 

 

 

 

            When the next westbound train pulled in, I photographed it.

 

 

            I got on the train and rode the rest of the way to Humber College. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

            I then left the station and walked to the bus terminal. The terminal is used by TTC, MiWay, Brampton Transit, and YRT.

 

            I boarded a bus on express route #927 and rode to Woodbine Center mall. I looked in a few stores before I had lunch at the food court.

 

            Woodbine Center has a small indoor amusement park, though not as big as Galaxyland at the West Edmonton Mall. I have fond memories of visiting this place when I was a kid.

 

            I took some photos and a video of the miniature train that runs through the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then left the mall. I took one photo outside.

 

 

            I walked to the bus stop and caught a bus back to the light rail. I entered the station and photographed a train.

 

 

            I rode all the way back to Finch West and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then headed back to line #1. I was hoping to ride some streetcars as the TTC has been receiving 60 streetcars similar to the 204 Flexity streetcars that replaced the CLRV and ALRV streetcars. Currently at least 59 are in service with the 60^th car recently delivered. I had ridden the first 58 cars as well as all of the 204 original Flexitys. However neither car I had yet to ride was in service.

 

            I boarded a train and rode to St. Patrick. I got off and waited for an eastbound streetcar. I wanted a streetcar on route #505 Dundas. However a detouring #506 car passed.

 

            I eventually boarded a streetcar on route #505 and rode to Yonge Street but the car went out of service one stop before. I waited for the next car and rode one stop to Yonge Street. The reason I didn’t ride around the loop was part of the Yonge Line was closed for track work. The TTC often closes a portion of the subway during weekends.

 

            I went into the Eaton’s Center and stopped by the Great American Backrub. I photographed the entrance sign for Dundas station which had been renamed TMU.

 

 

            This is one of two stations on the TTC subway network to have been recently renamed. I will cover the second shortly.

 

            Dundas was renamed TMU which is short for Toronto Metropolitan University which is a short walk from the station. There had been talk of renaming Dundas for a few years as Dundas was named after someone who owned slaves back when slavery was a thing.

 

            I got back on the streetcar and rode to University Avenue. I then boarded a northbound subway and rode to Eglinton West station which had been renamed Cedervale. The station was renamed in advance of the Eglinton LRT opening and Cedarvale is the name of the area the station is located. I took some photos as I heard there was still one sign that read Eglinton West, but I never saw it.

 

 

 

 

            After I was unable to find the old Eglinton West sign, I photographed some entrances for the Eglinton LRT when it eventually opens.

 

 

 

            I decided to wait for a bus on route #32 to take me back to Yonge Street to head back home. However I had a long wait. I took some photos of some parts of the station that will lead to the Eglinton LRT.

 

 

 

            The 32 is a busy bus route which is one of two bus routes that will be directly replaced by the Eglinton LRT once it opens. However I had to wait a long time for a bus. Some branches of the 32 end at Cedarvale in addition to a few more bus routes.

 

            After a long time, a bus finally came. I rode to Eglinton station on the Yonge line. While waiting for a northbound train I photographed a map that showed the Finch West LRT and the Eglinton LRT.

 

 

 

            A northbound subway arrived and I rode to Sheppard-Yonge. I transferred to the Sheppard line and rode to Don Mills. I then headed back to my apartment.

 

Conclusions:

 

            Of the two LRT lines being built Finch West is the winner. The line makes it easier to get to Woodbine Center if I wanted to go. It would be easier if the line started at Finch station on the Yonge line.

 

            The next rapid transit extension to open is most likely the Eglinton line. However its opening has been delayed multiple times. There are three other projects going on in Toronto in various early stages of construction. There is also an LRT line under construction in Mississauga which will use similar cars. Until next time…