After roughly 15 years of construction, countless delays, and more than a few “we’ll believe it when we see it” moments, TTC Line 5 — the Eglinton Crosstown LRT — officially opened on Sunday, February 8, 2026. The new 19-kilometre light rail line now runs from Mount Dennis to Kennedy with 25 stations along Eglinton Avenue. By all accounts, the first day of service arrived with little fanfare — but plenty of curiosity from riders finally able to step aboard.
Locally, the opening also marks the end of an era. The long-running 56 Leaside bus route made its final trips on February 7, after nearly a century of service dating back to the 1920s. With the launch of Line 5, service along Laird and Donlands is being absorbed by other routes and the new LRT — a quiet goodbye to a familiar neighbourhood bus.
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