Major subway extension between Toronto and GTA suburbs moves forward

A significant infrastructure project that will extend the Toronto subway system into the GTA suburbs is moving forward. 

Today, the Ontario government announced that the excavation of the tunnel launch shaft for the Yonge North Subway Extension has been completed. The extension will extend the subway system eight kilometres into the York Region, bringing the TTC’s Yonge-University Line (Line 1) north from Finch Station to Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill.

The subway is expected to move more than 94,000 riders each day and put nearly 23,000 jobs within walking distance of transit.

Running from Finch Station to Richmond Hill Centre, the extension will boast five stations, including a proposed transit hub at Highway 7 and Highway 407 called Bridge Station that could connect to up to five future and existing regional transit lines, as well as local bus services. 

Bridge Station will be located on the northern part of the extension and will, according to the province, link the two halves of the Richmond Hill Centre/Langstaff Gateway urban growth centre that are divided by highway infrastructure. 

Other stations proposed along the extension include Steeles Station, Clark Station, Royal Orchard Station and High Tech Station. 

Bridge Station

In a July 23 news release, the province said crews have dug almost 70,000 cubic metres of soil to prepare the tunnel launch shaft site, where two tunnel boring machines will begin digging the extension’s twin 6.3-kilometre tunnels. 

The province said the launch shaft extends 10 metres below ground and requires 11,000 cubic metres of concrete and 860 tonnes of steel reinforcement to construct.

Royal Orchard Station

The Ontario government recently issued a request for proposals for design and construction of the extension’s stations, tracks and support systems. 

Utilities are currently being relocated in preparation for future construction. 

Metrolinx, the province’s transit agency, said on its website that Steeles Station will function as the transit hub for the southern part of the extension, creating a subway connection for up to 8,600 residents. 

Steeles Station

Clark Station, Metrolinx said, will put about 8,100 people within a 10-minute walk of the subway by 2041. Once complete, it will offer connections to other travel options, including the future extension of Viva Orange service. The transit agency said Royal Orchard Station will serve the Royal Orchard area of Thornhill and connect about 7,300 people with nearby subway service. 

The station, Metrolinx said, will provide riders with quicker access to Pomona Mills Park and the Don River valley trails.

High Tech Station will serve the Richmond Hill Centre area, which is expected to grow. The station will be built at surface level beneath the bridge along High Tech Road that spans the existing railway corridor, according to Metrolinx. 

Clark Station

In a news release, the province said the extension will cut the distance travelled by personal vehicles by 7,700 kilometres during rush hour and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 4,800 tonnes each year.

The federal government is contributing $2.24 billion in funding for the project.  

“The completion of the tunnel launch shaft excavation marks an exciting step forward for the Yonge North Subway Extension. As Mayor of Vaughan, one of my top priorities is to fight traffic gridlock, and the Yonge North Subway Extension will play a key role in achieving that goal by easing congestion, improving connectivity and making it easier for residents to get where they need to go,” Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca said in a statement. 

High Tech Station

“It will also bring a second subway line to Vaughan, further strengthening our links to Toronto and communities across the region. I want to thank the Government of Ontario and Minister Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria for advancing this important city-building project, and I look forward to seeing the work continue.”

The project is part of the province’s $70-billion transit plan for the GTA, which includes several ongoing projects such as the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension and the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. 

All renderings from Metrolinx’s official website