Station names selected for Toronto’s brand new subway line; tunnelling officially begins

Tunnelling has begun on a massive transit project that will create a brand-new subway line ferrying passengers from the east and west ends of Toronto. 

Today, the Ontario government announced that major work is underway on the Ontario Line, a 15.6-kilometre subway line with 15 stations that will run from Exhibition Place to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Don Mills Road. Once complete, it will offer over 40 transit connections.

Once operational, the Ontario Line is expected to put approximately 230,000 people within walking distance of modern rapid transit.

“The start of tunnelling is a historic milestone for the Ontario Line, which, once complete, will help cut travel times for commuters across Toronto by 40 minutes,” said Premier Doug Ford in a statement. 

“Our government will continue to fight gridlock and keep workers on the job by leading the largest expansion of public transit in North America.”

The province also unveiled some station names, which it said were chosen because they’re more recognizable to riders familiar with some of Toronto’s best-known neighbourhoods. 

Going forward, the province said King-Bathurst station will now be known as King West, Queen-Spadina as Chinatown, Corktown as Distillery District and Riverside-Leslieville as Leslieville.

Chinatown Station

In a news release, the province said two tunnel boring machines are digging twin tunnels from Exhibition Station toward the Don Yard near the Don Valley Parkway and Lakeshore Boulevard, as deep as 40 metres below the surface. 

At the Don Yard, Ontario Line trains will emerge from the tunnels and continue east above ground across the Lower Don Bridge. In a news release, the province said tunnelling for the Ontario Line’s twin downtown tunnels will start in phases, with the first tunnel boring machine digging the tunnel for the eastbound track, followed by the second tunnel boring machine, which will dig the tunnel for the westbound track.

Distillery District Station

Construction is underway at Exhibition Station, with platforms and station entrances undergoing work. The province said Exhibition Station will connect riders to GO Transit, as well as bring subway service to Liberty Village. During rush hour, more than 12,000 people are expected to use the station, including more than 6,000 who will transfer between GO Transit and the Ontario Line.

The future Exhibition Station will also connect directly to Exhibition Place.

The province said work is underway at other stations, with excavation complete at King West, Moss Park and Distillery District, and nearing completion at Chinatown.

King West Station

The Ontario Line, slated to open in 2031, is expected to move people quickly between the east and west ends of the city. In a 2025 news release, the province said a trip across Toronto from Exhibition Place to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Don Mills Road will take 30 minutes or less compared to the current one hour and 10 minutes. 

According to the province, the Ontario Line will run on dedicated tracks on existing surface rail corridors, underground, and on elevated structures. It will also include, along with 15 stations, a maintenance and storage facility for the subway vehicles. 

Once complete, it will offer connections to GO services (Lakeshore East and West and Stouffville), existing subway stations, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and the King, Queen, Bathurst, Spadina, Harbourfront and Gerrard streetcar lines. 

Leslieville Station

During morning rush hour, the new line is anticipated to reduce crowding by up to 15 per cent on the busiest stretch of TTC’s Line 1 between Bloor-Yonge and Wellesley.

Tunnell boring

The Ontario Line is anticipated to boast 390,000 daily boardings and reduce travel times from Thorncliffe Park to downtown Toronto from 40 to 25 minutes. A trip from Pape and Danforth to Queen and University will, the province estimates, take 12 minutes.

The federal government is contributing over $4 billion to the project. 

“Today marks a major step forward as we begin tunnelling the Ontario Line through the heart of downtown Toronto. This project is part of a historic investment in public transit to fight gridlock, cut commute times and keep people moving across our city,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said in a statement.

“As Mayor, I am committed to keeping the TTC affordable by freezing fares for three years while increasing service and improving reliability. We are introducing fare capping this year so Torontonians can ride more and pay less and advancing the design of the Scarborough East Rapid Transit Line, formerly the Eglinton East LRT. The city and province will continue working together to deliver affordable and safe transit that keeps Toronto moving.”