Excavating Launch Shaft for Ontario Line Begins

Rendering of Ontario Line subway train front exterior with transparent platform-edge doors.

Courtesy of Ontario Government

TORONTO - The Ontario government has begun excavating the launch shaft for the Ontario Line subway tunnels at Exhibition Station.

According to the release, once complete, these will reduce commute times and “bring nearly 230,000 people within walking distance of public transit.” The launch shaft is 16-meters deep and is the starting point for two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) that will dig from Exhibition Station to Don Yard, 6 kilometers east. Afterward, the launch shaft will be repurposed into a tunnel portal “where Ontario Line trains will transition from above to below ground.”

President and CEO Of Metrolinx Phil Verster said, “The start of excavation to support tunneling throughout the downtown core represents another major development for the Ontario Line and for the people of Toronto. With station, bridge and above-ground track construction now underway across the route, we are gaining critical momentum on a project that will curb crowding on transit lines and roadways by putting 227,500 more people within easy reach of fast, safe and reliable transit.”

Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria said, “It’s been more than 60 years since the first subway tunnels were built in downtown Toronto. . . Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we’re getting the Ontario Line done to tackle gridlock and increase access to fast, reliable and affordable transit for millions of people across the GTA.”

Minister of International Development, the Honorable Ahmed Hussen, on behalf of the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities, said, “The Ontario Line subway is part of one of the biggest partnerships to construct public transportation in Canadian history. . . Work is progressing and today’s groundbreaking is another step toward affordable, reliable and quick public transit for Torontonians.”