Line 6 Finch West officially opened to customers
Line 6 Finch West officially opened to customers this morning, Sun. Dec. 7, marking a historic expansion of Toronto’s transit system and a new era of connectivity for communities along Finch Ave. W. Secretary of State (Labour), and MP for Etobicoke North, John Zerucelli, Ontario Transportation Minister, Prabmeet Sarkaria, Mayor Olivia Chow, TTC Chair Jamaal Myers, Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay and TTC CEO Mandeep Lali joined members of the media on board a ceremonial first train, which departed Finch West Station towards Humber College Station at approximately 7:30 a.m.
“Our government is proud to deliver the Finch West LRT, which will bring hundreds of thousands of people within walking distance of fast and affordable transit. In the face of economic uncertainty, we’re protecting Ontario with historic investments in transit infrastructure to relieve gridlock, connect more people to good-paying jobs, and keep our economy moving,” said Ontario Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria.
“Today is a great day for transit users, especially those in the northwest of the city, who now have a dedicated transit line to connect them to work, school and home,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “Line 6 means getting to work and home faster, saving you time while reducing congestion on our busy roads. I want to thank everyone who has worked to deliver this project, and to all government partners for supporting better transit in the City of Toronto.
“We’re very excited to be opening Line 6 Finch West today, the most significant expansion of Toronto’s transit network since the Spadina subway extension,” said TTC Chair Jamaal Myers. “Thousands of riders will now benefit from faster connections to communities, jobs and schools. Line 6 will also play a real role in reducing congestion by giving people a faster, more dependable alternative to driving. I want to thank TTC staff, our partners at Metrolinx and the Province of Ontario for working together to make today a reality and improving transit for the millions of riders who take the TTC daily.”
“I feel privileged, on behalf of many hard-working members of the Metrolinx team, to announce the opening of the Finch West LRT alongside our partners, the Ministry of Transportation, City of Toronto and TTC, whose exceptional work and collaboration made this milestone possible. We recognize that delivering this project has not come without challenges and disruption, and we deeply appreciate residents’ and businesses’ patience and resilience throughout this journey. We remain committed to delivering the benefits this new transit line will bring to communities,” said Michael Lindsay, Metrolinx, President and CEO.
“I am delighted to be welcoming customers on board the newly opened Line 6 Finch West. This is an important milestone for transit in Toronto, and the TTC has been working tirelessly days, nights and weekends preparing for this day to be ready to deliver a safe, reliable and outstanding customer experience,” said TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali. “We look forward to continuing to work with our union partners and Metrolinx to provide customers with the efficient and reliable service that they expect.”
To celebrate the opening of the line, the TTC distributed limited edition Line 6 commemorative coins to the first 100 customers at Finch West Station and the first 50 customers at each of the other 17 stations along the route. Customer service agents were available at all stations to welcome customers to the new Line 6 and answer questions. In addition, the TTC hosted pop-up booths at six stations where staff provided transit-themed giveaways and interacted with customers.
Line 6 Finch West runs between Finch West Station on Line 1 Yonge-University and Humber Polytechnic’s North Campus, with 18 stops along Finch Ave. W. It provides customers with convenient connections to TTC bus routes and regional transit services, including GO Transit, MiWay, York Region Transit, and Brampton Züm.
Trains will arrive every six and a half minutes during weekday morning and afternoon rush hours, and every 10 to 12 minutes at all other times.
The TTC serves as the operator for Line 6 Finch West, bringing more than a century of expertise as North America’s third busiest public transit agency. Under agreements with Metrolinx and the City of Toronto, the TTC is responsible for operating trains, providing security and revenue control, and staffing stations to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction. The line’s infrastructure and vehicles are maintained by Mosaic Transit Group (MTG) under contract to Metrolinx. As operator, the TTC works in close partnership with Metrolinx, the City, and project partners to deliver safe, reliable, and efficient service, integrating Line 6 Finch West into Toronto’s broader transit.