Urban rail transit in Canada encompasses a broad range of rail mass transit systems, including commuter rail, rapid transit, light rail, and streetcar systems.
Italics indicate a line under construction.
See main article: CTrain.
Calgary Transit's CTrain network started operation on May 25, 1981. the CTrain has the second-highest weekday ridership of any light rail transit system in North America, surpassed only by Guadalajara light rail system in Mexico. The CTrain carried over 312,000 passengers per weekday in the fourth quarter of 2018. There are 45 stations in operation in the 60km (40miles) CTrain system.[7] After starting by running on one leg in 1981, the system has expanded and now has four legs radiating out into Calgary's suburbs in different directions. The legs have been organized into two routes (identified as the Red Line and the Blue Line) that connect the four legs via shared tracks in a downtown transit mall. The existing four legs of the system, as built in chronological order, are the south leg (1981), the northeast leg (1985), the northwest leg (1987), and the west leg (2012).
the Green Line is under construction and will connect southeast and north legs via a downtown tunnel.[8]
See main article: Edmonton LRT.
The Edmonton Transit Service's LRT system consisted of only one line from its opening in 1978 to 2015. the system includes the original Capital Line; the Metro Line, sharing part of their route; and the Valley Line.
Extensions to the Capital, Metro, and Valley lines have been approved. The construction of two new lines, the Energy and Festival lines, has been proposed.[13]
See main article: Exo (public transit) and Montreal Metro.
Exo operates five commuter rail lines in Greater Montreal, including the Island of Montreal, Montreal, and South Shore. Each line terminates at Montreal Central Station or Lucien-L'Allier, both in downtown Montreal, with connections to the metro system. Most of the system is run on Canadian National or Canadian Pacific trackage. Exo formerly owned and operated the Mount Royal Tunnel and the Deux-Montagnes line until service was ended in 2020. The Réseau express métropolitain light metro system is set to take over the Mount Royal Tunnel and the Deux-Montagnes line.
The Montreal Metro is Canada's second-busiest rail transit system. Drawing inspiration from the Paris Métro, it uses rubber-tired metro technology, the only such system in Canada. The 69.2km (43miles) system has 68 stations on four lines, which serve the north, east, and central portions of the Island of Montreal, as well as the suburbs of Laval and Longueuil. The metro began in 1966 with the east–west Green Line and the north–south Orange Line.[14] A series of expansions since 1966 have expanded the original lines and added the Yellow and Blue lines.
An eastward extension of the Blue Line began construction in 2022.
See main article: O-Train.
The O-Train began in 2001 as a light rail pilot project to supplement Ottawa's Transitway bus rapid transit system. This original line, now known as the Trillium Line, was relatively inexpensive to construct ($21 million) due to its single-track route along a little used freight-rail right-of-way and used diesel multiple units (DMUs) to avoid the cost of building overhead lines along the tracks. The Confederation Line opened in September 2019, replacing portions of the Transitway with an underground tunnel through downtown.[15] [16]
Stage 2 of Ottawa's O-Train expansion is under construction, which will expand the Confederation Line east and west and the Trillium Line south.
See main article: GO Transit, Union Pearson Express, Toronto subway, Toronto streetcar system and Terminal Link.
GO Transit operates commuter rail services in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, including the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener, Niagara, Oshawa, Barrie, and Guelph. Each of its seven lines terminate at Union Station in downtown Toronto. With 217,500 average weekday riders, it is Canada's busiest commuter rail service, and the fifth-busiest in North America. the GO Expansion project is underway and will bring electrification, new trackage, bridges, and tunnels to the system, allowing for two-way all-day service with 15-minute frequencies to sections of five of its lines.
GO Transit's parent agency, Metrolinx, also operates the Union Pearson Express, an airport rail link between Union Station and Toronto Pearson International Airport. It opened in advance of the 2015 Pan American Games, sharing most of its routing with GO's Kitchener line before travelling along a 3.3km (02.1miles) rail spur to the airport. At the airport, the line connects with the Terminal Link, a free people mover transporting passenger between the airport's terminals and parking garage.
The Toronto Transit Commission's 70.5km (43.8miles) subway is Canada's oldest rapid transit system, having opened as the "Yonge subway" in 1954.[18] It is also Canada's busiest system, with 1,603,300 average weekday riders. It is an intermodal system, with three subway lines providing service to a total of 70 stations, the most of any Canadian system. The system connects each of Toronto's former municipalities, as well as the suburb of Vaughan.
Line 3 Scarborough was a light metro line which was in service from 1985 to 2023.[19] Line 5 Eglinton and Line 6 Finch West are both light rail lines under construction. The two lines will be fully integrated with the subway system upon their opening in 2024.
Toronto also operates a streetcar system. Unlike light rail, the majority of the ten routes operate in mixed traffic and all make frequent stops. Three routes operate in a dedicated right-of-way:
The central section of the 504 King route runs along the King Street Transit Priority Corridor. The proposed East Bayfront LRT would be a fourth streetcar line operating in a dedicated right-of-way.
See main article: West Coast Express and SkyTrain (Vancouver).
The West Coast Express is a commuter rail line operated by TransLink. The 69km (43miles) line runs from Waterfront station in downtown Vancouver to Mission, with six stations in between. The line only operates during peak hours on weekdays, with five trains heading west in the morning rush hour and 5 heading east in the afternoon rush hour. It is Canada's least-used urban rail transit system.
The SkyTrain is TransLink's fully-automated medium-capacity metro system. The system opened in 1985 for Expo 86. This original portion, now known as the Expo Line, had been joined by the Millennium and Canada lines, making it Canada's longest rapid transit system by track length, at . The system serves Vancouver and many of its surrounding municipalities in the Metro Vancouver Regional District.
See main article: Ion rapid transit.
The first phase of the 19km (12miles) Ion LRT system runs from Conestoga station in the City of Waterloo to Fairway station in Kitchener. It opened to the public on June 21, 2019.[22] The system operates in reserved lanes on public streets and on private rights-of-way. Waterloo Region, Ontario, has also approved plans for a light rail extension to the Ainslie St. Transit Terminal in Cambridge, as phase two of Ion.[23]
| City or region | Line | Construction start | Expected opening | Stations | Line length | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | Green Line (stage 1) | 2022 | 2027 | 14 | 20km (10miles) | Under construction | |
| Edmonton | Valley Line West | 2021 | 2028 | 16 | 14km (09miles) | Under construction[24] | |
| Edmonton | Capital Line South (Phase 1) | 2024 | 2027[25] | 2 | 4.5km (02.8miles) | Pre-Construction | |
| Gatineau | Gatineau LRT | 2030 | 30 | 26km (16miles) | Proposed | ||
| Hamilton | Hamilton LRT | 2024[26] | 17 | 14km (09miles) | Planned | ||
| Montreal | Réseau express métropolitain | 2018 | 2023–2027 | 26 | 67km (42miles) | Under construction | |
| Montreal | Blue Line extension | 2023[27] | 2029[28] | 5 | 6km (04miles) | Planned | |
| Ottawa | Confederation Line (Stage 2) | 2019 | 2025–2026 | 16 | 26.5km (16.5miles) | Under construction[29] | |
| Ottawa | Trillium Line (Stage 2) | 2019 | 2024[30] | 8 | 14km (09miles) | Under construction[31] | |
| Peel Region | Hurontario LRT | 2020[32] | 2024 | 19 | 18km (11miles) | Under construction | |
| Quebec City | Quebec City Tramway | 2024 | 2029 | 29 | 19.3km (12miles) | Planned | |
| Toronto | Line 5 Eglinton | 2011 | 2024 | 25 | 19km (12miles) | Under construction | |
| Toronto | Line 5 (Eglinton West extension) | 2022[33] | 2030 | 7 | 9.2km (05.7miles) | Under construction | |
| Toronto | Line 6 Finch West | 2019 | 2024 | 18 | 11km (07miles) | Under construction | |
| Toronto | Ontario Line | 2023 | 2030[34] | 15 | 15km (09miles) | Planned | |
| Toronto | Line 2 (Scarborough extension) | 2021 | 2030 | 3 | 7.8km (04.8miles) | Under construction[35] | |
| Toronto | Line 1 (Richmond Hill extension) | 2024 | 2032 | 5 or 6 | 8km (05miles) | Planned[36] | |
| Vancouver | Millennium Line (Broadway extension) | 2021 | 2027[37] | 6 | 5.7km (03.5miles) | Under construction[38] | |
| Vancouver | 2024 | 2028[39] | 8 | 16km (10miles)[40] | Planned[41] |
See main article: Gatineau LRT.
Gatineau, Quebec is proposing a 26km (16miles) LRT system that would connect with Ottawa's O-Train system.[42]
See main article: Hamilton LRT.
Hamilton's B-Line route, part of the region's BLAST rapid transit network, was a proposed light rail line to run east–west along King and Main streets, with McMaster University and Eastgate Square as its termini.[43] However, in announcing the financing for the line, the Government of Ontario changed the eastern terminus to Queenston Circle instead of Eastgate Square but added a branch to the new West Harbour GO Station.[44] After uncertainty among Hamilton's city council and poor ridership projections in provincially funded studies, the provincial government announced that they would abandon the spur line down James North and a previously announced BRT system along James in favour of reinstating Eastgate Square as the terminal station of the B-Line.[45] In December 2019, the Ontario government announced that the project would be abandoned, in part due to higher-than-anticipated costs.[46] In February 2021, the province reversed their decision and announced their re-commitment to the Hamilton light rail project, and in May 2021, federal funding was confirmed.[47]
In February 2020, the mayor of Longueuil, Quebec, proposed building a tramway in stages running east to west, from Hôpital Pierre Boucher in Longueuil to La Prairie. The proposed line would mostly run along a reconfigured Taschereau Boulevard passing Cégep Édouard-Montpetit, Longueuil station (terminus of the Yellow Line of the Montreal Metro), Hôpital Charles-LeMoyne and Panama station of the Réseau express métropolitain in Brossard.[48]
See main article: Réseau express métropolitain.
The Réseau express métropolitain is a light metro line under construction in Montreal. It is opening in phases, with the first section operating since July 2023. When completed, it will consist of a central section connecting to the Green, Orange, and Blue metro lines, with four branches with service to the North Shore, West Island, airport, and South Shore.[49]
See main article: Hurontario LRT. The Hurontario LRT is a 17.6km (10.9miles) light rail line under construction which is largely financed by Ontario provincial government. It will run on the surface along Hurontario Street from Port Credit GO Station in Mississauga to Steeles Avenue in Brampton. On October 28, 2015, Brampton City Council cancelled the proposed 5.6km (03.5miles) section of the line along Main Street in Brampton to Brampton GO Station.[50] On March 21, 2019, Metrolinx announced that the most of the downtown loop would be deferred to a later date due to financial restrictions, although a short spur to a stop at Square One Shopping Centre would remain.[51]
See main article: Quebec City Tramway.
The Quebec City Tramway is a proposed light rail transit line in Quebec City.[52] It would link Beauport to Cap Rouge, passing through Quebec Parliament Hill. The 19km (12miles) line would include a 1.8km (01.1miles) underground segment, with the rest of the line being on the surface.[53] Prior to the suspension, the municipal government had signed a contract for new trams from Alstom and another contract with the organization CSiT for operating and mobility systems. The city was unable to source a consortium to build the line as the sole remaining candidate would not provide project financing. Thus, at the end of October 2023, the city proposed to become the project manager to run the project.[54] In early November 2023, the province of Quebec suspended the project in order to have the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec do a six-month study to determine whether the tramway or some other public transit option would be the best solution.[55]
See main article: Surrey LRT.
A 27km (17miles) light rail network to consist of three lines radiating from SkyTrain stations had been proposed for construction in Surrey, British Columbia. The planned lines were:[56] [57]
The lines on 104 Avenue and King George Boulevard were to be built in seven years while the Surrey–Langley Line on the Fraser Highway would be finished five years later. A report on the economic benefits of the project was produced by a consulting firm in May 2015.[58]
This project (among others major transit infrastructure initiatives, including the extension of the Millennium Line under Broadway in Vancouver) was originally made contingent, by the governing BC Liberal party, on the approval, by plebiscite in 2015, of a sales tax increase to generate new funds for public transit. The electorate voted against the tax increase, leaving the project unfunded.[59] Subsequently, the project was included in the second phase of TransLink's 10-Year Investment Plan, which was approved in late 2017.[60] [61] However, in 2018, more than 80 percent of the city's residents objected to the line and potential problems, prompting several parties to adopt its cancellation as part of their platform during that year's civic election.[62] A mayor and council who objected to the LRT were elected and their first order of business was to vote unanimously to cancel the LRT line in favour of extending the existing SkyTrain line to Langley, despite the lack of funding to do so.[63] The LRT was "indefinitely suspended" by the regional Mayors' Council on November 15.[64]
The Jane LRT was a proposed 16.5km (10.3miles) light rail transit line that would have run along Jane Street from Jane station on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth to Pioneer Village station on Line 1 Yonge–University. It was cancelled by Rob Ford in December 2010.[65] [66]
The Sheppard East LRT was a proposed 13km (08miles) light rail transit line that would have run along the surface of Sheppard Avenue from Don Mills subway station to east of Morningside Avenue.[67] It was cancelled in April 2019 by the Ontario provincial government under Premier Doug Ford in favour of a Line 4 Sheppard subway extension.[68]
In August 2011, Victoria Regional Transit System announced that light rail transit was recommended as the preferred technology to connect Victoria to Saanich and the West Shore communities.[69] [70] In 2018, British Columbia premier John Horgan rejected the idea of light rail service in the Victoria area, arguing that the area's low population would not justify light rail.[71] A bus rapid transit system, Blink RapidBus, is being implemented instead.[72]