Line 6 Finch West LRT begins passenger service across Greater Toronto Area  

The Line 6 Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) began passenger service in Ontario on Dec. 7. The line is expected to move more than 51,000 riders daily. It runs on a dedicated, primarily street-level track, connecting communities along Finch Avenue West and across the Greater Toronto Area. 

“Our government is proud to deliver the Finch West LRT, which will bring hundreds of thousands of people within walking distance of fast and affordable transit,” said Ontario Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria. “In the face of economic uncertainty, we’re protecting Ontario with historic investments in transit infrastructure to relieve gridlock, connect more people to good-paying jobs and keep our economy moving.” 

Line 6 Finch West began construction in 2019. It runs between Finch West Station on Line 1 Yonge-University and Humber Polytechnic’s North Campus. The service will provide riders with connections to Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bus routes and regional transit services, including GO Transit, MiWay, York Region Transit and Brampton Züm. 

The TTC serves as the operator for the Line 6 Finch West LRT. Under agreements with Metrolinx and the city of Toronto, the TTC is responsible for operating trains, providing security and revenue control and staffing stations to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction. TTC notes trains will arrive every 6.5 minutes during weekday morning and afternoon rush hours and every 10 to 12 minutes at all other times.   

“We’re very excited to be opening Line 6 Finch West today, the most significant expansion of Toronto’s transit network since the Spadina subway extension,” said TTC Board Chair Jamaal Myers. “Thousands of riders will now benefit from faster connections to communities, jobs and schools. Line 6 will also play a real role in reducing congestion by giving people a faster, more dependable alternative to driving. I want to thank TTC staff, our partners at Metrolinx and the province of Ontario for working together to make today a reality and improving transit for the millions of riders who take the TTC daily.” 

According to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, residents in the city “now have a dedicated transit line to connect them to work, school and home. Line 6 means getting to work and home faster, saving you time while reducing congestion on our busy roads.” 

The trains being used for the service are Alstom’s Citadis light-rail vehicles (LRV). The LRVs were made by Alstom at its Brampton facility and tested at its Kingston site. According to the company, each 48-meter (157.5-foot) long vehicle offers a spacious design, accommodating up to 300 passengers comfortably while being fully accessible for strollers and people with mobility needs. 

The 100% low-floor LRV is designed for the Canadian market, capable of operating in winter conditions up to -38°C (-36.4°F). Alstom notes they are fitted with winterized solutions to ensure operational performance and optimize passenger comfort and experience with reinforced insulation, powerful HVAC, and snow and ice management solutions. 

“Alstom is proud to deliver rail mobility solutions that are engineered and manufactured in Ontario,” said Alstom Americas President Michael Keroullé. “We thank our clients, Metrolinx and the TTC for their trust and long-term partnership. We are delighted to contribute to the development of Toronto’s booming public transit system with best-in-class mobility technology, made by Canadians, for Canadians.” 

The line’s infrastructure and vehicles are maintained by Mosaic Transit Group under contract to Metrolinx. 

“I feel privileged, on behalf of many hard-working members of the Metrolinx team to announce the opening of the Finch West LRT alongside our partners, the ministry of transportation, city of Toronto and TTC, whose exceptional work and collaboration made this milestone possible,” said Metrolinx President and CEO Michael Lindsay. “We recognize that delivering this project has not come without challenges and disruption, and we deeply appreciate residents’ and businesses’ patience and resilience throughout this journey. We remain committed to delivering the benefits this new transit line will bring to communities.”