TORONTO — The Ontario government has officially launched excavation work for Queen Station on the Ontario Line, marking a major milestone in the province’s plan to expand transit infrastructure and reduce gridlock in Canada’s most populous city.
Located 40 metres beneath the existing TTC Queen Station, the new platform will serve more than 15,000 riders during peak hours, making it the busiest stop on the 15.6-kilometre Ontario Line. Once complete, the line will span from Exhibition Place through downtown to the Ontario Science Centre, connecting with over 40 other subway, bus, streetcar, and GO Transit routes.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria called the project a “game-changer” that will boost Ontario’s economy by creating thousands of construction jobs and improving access to housing and employment.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we’re building the Ontario Line to keep people moving across the city with faster, more reliable transit,” said Sarkaria. “This project supports workers, reduces congestion, and puts transit within reach for more than 227,000 additional Torontonians.”
With excavation crews expected to remove over 100,000 cubic metres of dirt and rock, the Ontario Line’s Queen Station is designed to improve connectivity between downtown destinations and outer neighbourhoods while alleviating pressure on existing TTC lines.
Mayor Olivia Chow praised the milestone, emphasizing how the Ontario Line will relieve congestion and shorten commute times. “We need to get Toronto moving for drivers, pedestrians and public transit users,” said Chow. “This is a vital new option that connects our communities and brings us closer together.”
Federal Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson also welcomed the start of work, framing it as part of a broader nation-building effort. “This project builds connectivity for the people of Toronto through reliable, sustainable, and affordable public transit,” he said.
Slated to be fully operational by 2031, the Ontario Line is expected to reduce daily car trips by at least 28,000 and lower greenhouse gas emissions by 14,000 tonnes per year by 2041. According to the province, the project is part of a $60 billion investment in what it calls the largest transit expansion in North America.
The Ontario Line is one of four major subway projects currently underway in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, alongside the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, and the Yonge North Subway Extension.
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