What’s going on subway surfers, we’re back on the surface today taking a look at construction
progress on the surface stops of the Eglinton Crosstown light rail. With ten stops located
at ground level out of the 25 stations being built, these stops are simpler in design,
containing platforms, canopies, and a revitalized streetscape. We visited these ten stations
last week to check in on the construction, and get an understanding of the scope of these
projects. I’m Zach with Vanishing Underground, and let’s take a look.
For our tour today, we’ll be starting at the east end of the line, where the LRT emerges
from the underground portal just west of Kennedy Road. The line crosses the intersection at
Ionview Rd, servicing two parallel side platforms on the west side of the street. Platforms
at the stop are currently being poured, with canopy installation expected to begin shortly
afterwards. This stop is one of only three on the line with no connecting bus routes,
and will service locals from the Ionview neighbourhood. A track crossover will be installed west of
the stop, allowing trains to turn back at Ionview if there is a disruption underground
at Kennedy. The next stop on the line is Birchmount, located
at the intersection of Birchmount Road and Eglinton Avenue East. The station consists
of two side platforms on the east side of the intersection, with the constrained width
of the site forcing the elimination of left hand turns in both directions from Eglinton.
Platforms have been poured at the stop, and overhead canopies were recently installed
on both platforms. At the intersection, passengers can connect to the 17 Birchmount bus, which
services stops in both directions. After Birchmount comes the Golden Mile stop,
located at the intersection of Warden Avenue and Eglinton Avenue East. The station consists
of two side platforms, which are staggered on the farside of the intersection. Platforms
have been recently poured at the stop, with overhead canopy installation expected to begin
soon. At the intersection, passengers can connect to the 68 Warden bus, as well as to
the 968 Warden Express bus planned for 2021. Shortly after Golden Mile is the Hakimi Lebovic
stop, located at the intersection of Eglinton Avenue East, Hakimi Avenue and Lebovic Avenue.
The station consists of two side platforms, which are staggered on the farside of the
intersection. At the stop, platforms have been poured and overhead canopies installed.
This is the second station on the line with no connecting bus routes, however Centennial
College’s Ashtonbee Campus and the TTC’s Eglinton Bus Garage are within close proximity
to the stop. West of the stop, a double crossover has been installed, with components of the
signalling system now visible. Next on the line is Pharmacy, located at the
intersection of Pharmacy Avenue and Eglinton Avenue East. The station consists of two parallel
side platforms on the east side of the intersection. This stop is the most complete of the surface
stations on the line, with the platforms installed, canopies completed, and railings and ramps
beginning to be installed. At the intersection, passengers can connect to the 67 Pharmacy
bus, as well as southbound service on the 70 O’Connor route.
After Pharmacy comes the O’Connor stop, located at the intersection of Victoria Park
Avenue and Eglinton Avenue East. The station consists of two parallel side platforms on
the east side of the intersection, and is the only surface stop with entrances at both
ends of the platform. On the east side of the station, the platform leads to the intersection
of Eglinton Avenue and Eglinton Square, allowing passengers to easily access the Eglinton Square
Shopping Centre. Platforms have been poured at the stop, with canopy installation also
recently completed. At the intersection, passengers can connect to the 24 Victoria Park and 924
Victoria Park Express buses, as well as the 70 O’Connor route in both directions.
Entering North York, the LRT descents at grade below the Gatineau Hydro Corridor, with a
crossover and storage track being constructed in the valley. The line then services the
Sloane stop, located at the intersection of Eglinton Avenue East, Sloane Avenue, and Bermondsey
Road. The station contains the only at grade centre platform, which services trains in
both directions on the east side of the intersection. The platform itself was recently poured, with
canopies expected to be constructed at the stop shortly. At the intersection, passengers
can connect to the 91 Woodbine bus. The line continues west, crossing the Don
Valley and GO Transit’s Richmond Hill line, before ascending to the stop at Wynford. This
stop is located midblock, between the ramps for Highway 404 and Wynford Drive. The station
contains two parallel side platforms, with pedestrian access being provided from the
east ends of the platform by way of a new signalized pedestrian crossing. Platforms at the station
have been completed, with canopy construction also progressing well. To connect to buses
at the stop, notably route 100 Flemingdon Park, passengers will cross from the LRT platform
to the sidewalks along Eglinton, before descending the staircases on the west side of the Wynford
Drive to the intersection and bus stops below. After Wynford, the line passes underneath
Highway 404 to the Aga Khan Park & Museum stop, located at the intersection of Eglinton
Avenue East and the western Highway 404 ramps. The station consists of two parallel side
platforms on the west side of the intersection. Platforms were recently poured and overhead canopies
installed at the stop, with additional work underway. This is the third station on the
line with no connecting bus routes, however the Aga Khan Museum and various office developments
are within walking distance of the stop. West of the stop, the line descends into a portal
for the underground Science Centre station, with a track crossover installed on the approach.
We covered construction at Science Centre station in a separate video, which you can
access by clicking the button in the top right corner of this video.
Ascending from the portal on the west side of Science Centre Station, the line services
another track crossover, which has had its signalling system recently installed. Continuing
west on the surface, the line passes under the CP rail line to service Sunnybrook Park
Station, located on the east side of the intersection of Leslie Street and Eglinton Avenue East.
The station contains two side platforms, which were recently poured, and canopy construction
is expected to begin soon. At the intersection, passengers will be able to connect to the
51 Leslie bus, as well as parallel service on the 34 Eglinton. West of the stop, a second
crossover and storage track will be constructed as the line continues underground to Laird
and Mount Dennis stations. Thanks for watching! We hope you enjoyed,
and learned something new about the future Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail line. Once construction
of the line is complete, click the button in the top-right corner of this video for
footage from the opening day. As always, feel free to leave a like and a comment if you
want to see more, and as for us here, we’ll be Vanishing Underground, until the next one.