Well Hello Toronto.

This week, the Eglinton Crosstown project drove itself one step closer to completion –

For the first time, an Eglinton Crosstown light rail vehicle (LRV) has taken to the tracks on the route’s main line. Even as a test, it’s an historic milestone for the new Toronto light rail transit (LRT) system.

(Scroll down to see the video)

This week, a train left the Eglinton Maintenance and Storage Facility (EMSF), located on Industry Street near Weston Road, and travelled a short distance on the main line. While it didn’t go far, this is a huge step forward in putting the LRVs through their paces, as well as the system they will run on.

To prepare for this, Metrolinx’s project builders, Crosslinx Transit Solutions, had their team first conducted clearance tests. On Dec. 14, the team inched vehicle 6207 along the route, walking alongside the train to make sure there were no obstructions. This took several hours and went perfectly.

On Dec. 17, staff and guests boarded the vehicle in anticipation of its inaugural trip. Shortly after 9 a.m., the same LRV travelled from the EMSF to the elevated guideway above Black Creek Drive, via the TTC handover platform, where TTC drivers will eventually board the trains at the start of their shifts. The train travelled a simple route, going eastbound on the westbound tracks. Soon, an LRV will travel on the eastbound as well, to test all the tracks and switches on the line.

Currently, track is installed from the EMSF into Keelesdale station, and overhead catenary, which provides the trains with power, is installed in the tunnel to just before Keelesdale station.

As construction teams complete Mount Dennis, Keelesdale and Caledonia stations later in 2020, two-vehicle trains (two vehicles coupled together) will travel the tunnels on a test track between Mount Dennis and Caledonia.

Each of the 76 vehicles for the line must travel 600 km. on the test track to pass its commissioning test and be ready to carry passengers.

And it started with 6207.