Yonge North Subway Extension

Final cost estimates for the project will be refined throughout the procurement process, which is still underway.

Metrolinx is partnering with Infrastructure Ontario on procurement for major contracts. As each major contract is awarded, the cost will be posted publicly.

Tunnelling work will begin after we finalize a detailed schedule with our future tunnelling team.

Work is well underway to relocate existing utilities along the route and early upgrades at Finch Station are substantially complete. The upgrades set the stage for major construction of the subway extension and bring us a step closer to expanding the region’s rapid transit network.

Aligning the northern part of the Yonge North Subway Extension with the existing railway corridor south of Langstaff Road will create better transit connections, minimize construction impacts, and protect project timelines. It will also ensure the project can accommodate more stations within the announced funding envelope.

Running the extension at surface level along the existing railway corridor means the project will better serve the Richmond Hill Centre and Langstaff Gateway urban growth centre, which is poised for significant development. Creating stronger connections here will mean better connections to GO trains and buses and York Region Transit and Viva bus rapid transit services. A major transit hub at Bridge Station will make it easier to travel in all directions, making it convenient for riders to reach destinations across the wider region.

This approach also means we can finish the project quickly by reducing the need for complex and time-consuming construction of tunnels and underground stations. Minimizing the need for large, disruptive excavation sites for underground stations and exit buildings also allows us to limit property needs in the surface-level section of the route. Limiting construction work to areas that are more out of the way will also cut down on disruptions of hydro, natural gas, and water service as we bring you more transit.

Option 1 or Option 2 could be built with the funding available, however either option would only accommodate three stations. Metrolinx is committed to building the most benefits possible into the project within the announced funding envelope and running the subway along the existing railway corridor in the northern end of the route makes it possible to build more stations.

This approach will help us bring better rapid transit service to the many people who will live and work in the Richmond Hill Centre and Langstaff Gateway area in the coming years, since it is set to become a vibrant regional hub. The existing rail line runs right through the centre of this area, so building stations that will make it easier for people to get to existing regional bus and GO train services will mean faster, more convenient transit and less traffic congestion as communities grow.

This route also brings as many as six major rapid transit lines together through a new station in the northern section of the route – tentatively referred to as Bridge Station. Placed on the existing railway corridor at surface level between the Highway 7 and Highway 407 corridors, Bridge Station will offer fast, easy transfers to downtown Toronto on Line 1, and act as a launchpad to explore the entire Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area through convenient connections to the regional transit network.

One of the benefits of the latest plans for the Yonge North Subway Extension is that they protect for further extension of the line in the future by positioning the northern end of the project along the existing railway corridor.

The stations on the northern section of the extension are placed the way they are to serve the most people in the future, making it faster and easier for riders to use the subway and connect to transit services across the region, and to better support growth while curbing local traffic congestion.

Since the neighbourhoods surrounding Bridge and High Tech stations are expected to grow significantly in the years to come, these stations will contribute a large portion of the riders that will use the extension, especially those who transfer to the subway from a bus.

Located between Highway 7 and Highway 407, Bridge Station will create vital connections between the subway and the Richmond Hill GO line, as well as GO bus, Viva bus rapid transit and local bus services that run along the two major highways. It’s also worth noting that the station at High Tech Road would put the subway within walking distance for more than half of the residents expected to live in the Richmond Hill Centre area by 2041.

Community input is essential to the work we do.

Metrolinx will reach out to communities through the planning and construction process to create connections between the people we serve and the innovative work being done to bring this important project to life.

If you’d like to connect with us about our plans for the Yonge North Subway Extension, please join us at the virtual and in-person open house events that will be held throughout the course of the project.

To get the most up-to-date information on the project and to share your input, you can visit the Get Involved page.

There, you can submit questions and comments through our engagement portal. You can also subscribe to our e-newsletter to get the latest project updates delivered directly to you.

You can learn more and review the latest environmental studies for the Yonge North Subway Extension by visiting the Studies page.

Transit corridor lands are lands that may be needed for the planning, design and construction of priority transit projects. Designating these lands will help Metrolinx build transit faster, resulting in fewer inconveniences for neighbouring communities.

Many who own or occupy property on transit corridor land will experience little to no impacts. For others, it may mean a change to some existing processes.

Owning property that is on transit corridor land does not restrict or prevent you from renting, leasing or selling your property now or in the future. You can learn more about transit corridor lands and the permitting and property access conditions that apply to them at metrolinx.com/property.

We are still determining impacts and confirmation of properties through further environmental assessment and design work.

Metrolinx only acquires properties that are absolutely necessary for projects. Our goal is always to affect the fewest number of people by minimizing the footprint of our land requirements through careful planning and design.

We understand that residents and businesses want specific details about impacts to their properties, and we will reach out individually to property owners as soon as we can.

Learn more about the property acquisition process.

The bottom of the tunnels – where trains pass over the tracks – will be at least 21 metres below the surface from Yonge Street to approximately where the existing railway corridor meets the southern boundary of Holy Cross Cemetery.

Where the route crosses below Pomona Creek, beyond where homes are located, the tunnels will still be at a depth of 14 metres.

This slightly shallower depth is because the ground level here is slightly lower than the surrounding land in the neighbourhood. From here, it will gradually rise to meet the surface rail corridor just south of Langstaff Road.

Based on what’s been experienced on other recent subway projects in the GTA, we know the sounds and vibrations from subway trains traveling in the tunnels below Royal Orchard will be very difficult to notice.

Learn more about subway tunnelling and the modern solutions used to manage noise and vibration from new transit service.

We will make sure that future subway service will be unobtrusive and difficult to notice, ensuring communities will be peaceful and quiet when the subway is in service. Our aim is to make sure there are no significant differences between levels of noise and vibration experienced in Royal Orchard today and what those levels will be when the extension is in service.

We now have access to a wide range of solutions to address noise and vibration that simply were not available decades ago, when most of the GTA’s existing subway lines were built. We will use modern solutions that are tested and proven across the globe and recently in Toronto to extend the western leg of Line 1 to Vaughan.

In fact, based on what we have observed inside buildings that sit above the tunnels and the conditions we’ve studied in Royal Orchard, we know vibrations from subway trains traveling in the Yonge North Subway Extension’s tunnels will be below levels humans can feel and sounds will be as quiet as an average whisper. We will do everything practicable to make sure people who live along the subway extension barely notice it.

The tunnels below homes in the Royal Orchard area will be very deep underground and built to strict design and engineering standards. We’re confident that high-quality, modern tunnels built to the latest industry standards will ensure future subway services won’t be a disruption for the community.

Our early analysis shows that using floating slab track technology in the underground part of the route will cushion the tracks from the tunnel walls and bring levels of vibration down in the Royal Orchard community to a point where they are nearly undetectable through human senses. These studies also show that noise levels would be lower than the standards and guidelines Metrolinx follows for operation of the subway.

Floating slab subway track has been used around the world, including on the recently completed Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension. We will have more detailed information about the solutions we’ll be putting in place as further design work is refined.

We are committed to addressing any noise and vibration due to construction and operation of the extension to ensure the project improves the quality of life in the communities it serves.

We will work with communities to ensure a comprehensive array of measures are in place to address noise or vibration impacts and to ensure designs are sensitive and respectful of our neighbours.

As plans for the project are finalized, our design teams will have several tools to choose from to mitigate noise and vibration while the extension is in service, including:

• Devices called rail dampers that are attached to the sides of rails to dissipate vibration energy which would otherwise radiate from the rail as noise when trains pass over them.
• Highly resilient fasteners are clips that hold the track onto the foundation below the rails. They are effective at absorbing vibration and have been used successfully on the TTC subway network.
• Noise walls could be used in certain areas to block and absorb sounds. These walls can be designed with a combination of solid and transparent panels, and have been installed across many parts of the Metrolinx rail network.

Through the construction phase, Metrolinx will reduce impacts by keeping equipment well maintained and fitted with muffling devices wherever possible, and coordinate construction schedules so that noisier work occurs when it makes the most sense.

Metrolinx will monitor noise and vibration throughout construction and will introduce new mitigation measures whenever and wherever necessary.

Learn more about subway tunnelling and modern solutions for managing noise and vibration from new transit service.

Placing a train storage facility at surface-level is a standard practice, and it’s critical to keep it above ground to stay within the announced funding envelope. Cities like Vancouver, Chicago, and New York all have ground level train storage facilities that successfully integrate into residential areas while meeting the needs of their transit networks. This change brings the proposal in line with the TTC’s five subway train storage facilities, which are all above ground.

The facility needed for the Yonge North Subway Extension will be used to store, inspect, and clean subway trains when they are not in service.

The detailed studies and public consultations we're doing will help us make sure we put all the right noise and vibration solutions in place so there are no significant differences between what's experienced in the community today and what will be experienced when the extension is up and running.