Update on first batch of Eglinton Crosstown LRT vehicle testing
This week marks the first batch of Crosstown vehicle deliveries from the maintenance facility.
May 27, 2021
The big Crosstown vehicle migration has reached the halfway point.
We started the week by sharing the first movements of the sophisticated light rail vehicles, as they head for testing.
As of today (May 27), the east portion of the Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit (LRT) line has received three of the six vehicles expected. The final three will be delivered next week.
The vehicles were delivered on a flatbed truck, with a police escort, one at a time. They started from the maintenance and storage facility in Toronto’s west end and made their way east.
Here’s a video showing the vehicle’s journey in action.
What happens now?
The Crosstown light rail vehicles are being stored underground, west of Leslie Street. Once all six of the vehicles arrive by next week, they will start undergoing clearance and static testing, which ensures that the vehicle and systems work as intended and properly with each other.
Vehicle testing and commissioning will continue to take place between June and December, with a focus on the area between Science Centre Station and Kennedy Station.
Later this summer, more substantial vehicles testing will take place. In July, crews will be testing vehicles under conditions as if they were in service. This means train cars coupled together, increased speed testing, brake tests, and concurrent vehicle testing.
While these are exciting times, Metrolinx officials are reminding all pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists that these are still active construction sites and to continue to exercise caution around these areas.
Keep watching as the other vehicles make their trek to the other side of the LRT route and testing starts along Eglinton in the upcoming months. Watch out for more Crosstown progress on Metrolinx News and follow the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project on social media to get the latest.
Interested in this? Check out the official Eglinton Crosstown LRT webpage.
by Scott Money Metrolinx editorial content manager