In contrast to the delay-plagued and long-overdue Eglinton Crosstown LRT, Metrolinx has been regularly checking off major milestones for another future transit line in Toronto, including two new breakthroughs this week alone for the Ontario Line subway.

On Tuesday morning, Metrolinx announced that the project had reached a significant milestone by installing the first pile for the south shaft of the future Queen-Spadina station. 

By 2041, the station is expected to see 7,200 customers and 3,800 transfers during its busiest hour, with approximately 23,000 people living within walking distance.

Metrolinx says the accomplishment marks the first "groundbreaking activity" supporting the excavation for the first of six deep underground stations for the south portion of the line that will run through the downtown core. 

This morning, the Ontario Line project reached a significant milestone by installing the first pile for the south shaft of the future Queen-Spadina Station. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/K8NXgyBDPu

— Ontario Line (@OntarioLine) February 20, 2024

The milestone is just the latest update to the ever-changing face of the Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue intersection, which also recently saw yellow-painted retention brackets pop up to brace the existing facades of a historic building at its northeast corner. 

How an old Toronto building is being gutted and saved for an Ontario Line station https://t.co/wX9FZim7Va

— blogTO (@blogTO) January 22, 2024

That same day, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario also announced a new agreement with Trillium Guideway Partners (TGP), the consortium selected to deliver the Ontario Line Guideway and Stations contract. 

The scope of the work includes three kilometres of an elevated guideway (bridge structures), five elevated stations (Riverside-Leslieville, Gerrard, Thorncliffe Park, Flemingdon Park, Science Centre), one emergency exit building, interface with the operations and maintenance storage facility, as well as with the Eglinton Crosstown LRT Line 5. 

We ❤️ progress. We've signed an agreement to kick off the development phase for the elevated guideway and five stations in the eastern and northern parts of the line. Learn more: https://t.co/NgR0zfn1p9 pic.twitter.com/5jp1EjAM7f

— Ontario Line (@OntarioLine) February 20, 2024

The team includes Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc., Amico Major Projects Inc., and WSP Canada Inc., who were selected following an evaluation of proposals submitted in September 2023. 

The contract will incorporate a multi-stage design process called a development phase, which will allow for a collaboration between Metrolinx and TGP to finalize the scope, risk allocation, and pricing of various elements of the contract. 

The development phase is expected to take up to 20 months, although Metrolinx notes that early works construction can commence during this period. 

The under-construction Ontario Line is set to bring 15 new stations to Toronto along a 15.6-kilometre subway line running from Exhibition Place, through the downtown core, up to the Ontario Science Centre. 

With its new stations, the line is expected to bring significant relief from crowding through Toronto's existing transit network with over 40 connections along the way, including to the TTC's Line 1 and Line 2, GO Transit rail lines, and the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.