The head of Metrolinx says a full revenue service demonstration for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is expected to happen in early 2025 as crews work to fully address yet another software issue that affected train operations.
Phil Verster, the agency’s president and CEO, commented on the latest issues affecting the Eglinton Crosstown project during a quarterly Metrolinx board meeting on Thursday.
“The relentless focus on testing and commissioning continues,” he said, reiterating similar messaging in past updates.
Verster then referred to previous software issues affecting the signalling and train control systems. Eight software updates have been issued to address various bugs.
However, he said testing and commissioning work identified a “software design flaw” contained in signalling system work done by an unidentified sub-contractor. Verster said it “posed a safety risk that’s unacceptable for operations.”
In the update, he said Crosslinx Transit Solutions (the private-sector consortium building the Eglinton Crosstown LRT), the TTC, Metrolinx and the sub-contractor worked to “make the network safe” so operator training could continue. It’s not clear how long the pause was on training.
“The software code rectification is being completed and will be implemented by the end of this year,” Verster said.
“There’s no replacement for safety and there’s no compromise on safety or on the quality of our operations.”
Verster added 95 to 96 per cent of all testing for the Crosstown has been completed.
He said they’re working on commissioning the Crosstown “towards an opening date in [2025].”
Verster added they “expect to be in preparation for revenue service demonstration early in the new year,” which is one of the last major milestones to be met before the Eglinton Crosstown can open to the public.
Meanwhile, Andrew Hope, Metrolinx’s chief capital officer for rapid transit projects, said a large-scale emergency exercise was held in September to test the system’s emergency equipment and to practice procedures for emergency services agencies.
He said one of the final pieces of construction on the Eglinton Crosstown was done at Eglinton station. A new northeast station access was recently completed.
Board members didn’t publicly ask any questions about the project.
Construction on the Eglinton Crosstown began under the previous Ontario Liberal government and different Metrolinx management in 2011. The project has entered its 14th year of construction and commissioning.
The 19-kilometre, 25-station Crosstown line was supposed to be finished by 2020, but it has been continually pushed back due to various legal and construction issues along with COVID-19-related delays.
For several months, Verster said he would provide a three-month notice ahead of the Eglinton Crosstown’s opening and as the end of September came and went it became clear the line wouldn’t be ready to ring in 2025.
