Single car crash on Toronto LRT blocks tracks for over 21 hours
- Commuter Chaos
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- June 18, 2026
A single car is all it takes to paralyze thousands of commuters for the entire day on Toronto’s brand-new LRT.
We saw on the news earlier that a 2.8-kilometre, six-station portion of the Line 6 Finch West LRT in Toronto had been shut down at 12:45 AM late last night, after a vehicle crashed onto a median barrier adjacent to LRT tracks—blocking the tracks, and sending 4 people (including a child) to the hospital with serious injuries.
As it turns out, that shutdown was still ongoing at 9:45 p.m., more than 21 hours after the crash.
As of 9:47 PM - Line 6 Finch West: No service between Albion and Duncanwoods stations due to a collision. Shuttle buses are running between Albion and Duncanwoods. https://t.co/ppp4UKP5cO
— TTC Service Alerts (@TTCnotices) June 19, 2026
Although this incident did not involve any trains, the serious damage to both the vehicle and a critical LRT signal pole have triggered a lengthy repair process and an extensive police investigation—both of which have kept the LRT tracks in the area shut down for the day, including through the morning and afternoon rush hours.
The shutdown of services finally concluded when repairs were completed and tracks were cleared at 10:25 p.m—a total of 21 hours and 40 minutes of delays and disruption on the LRT spanning across two service days.
Toronto's Finch West LRT mistakes can no longer be undone
We’ve long raised concerns that locating a major rapid transit line at street-level will make it seriously unreliable.
When urban train tracks cross roads and pedestrian paths, they become prone to accidents, delays, and disruptions. Case in point: riders on Toronto’s brand-new LRT have had to step off their trains and endure overcrowded shuttle bus rides for the entire day today.
But it’s especially poignant that today’s crash occurs on the Line 6 Finch West LRT—a line that was once seen as a model for the now-scrapped LRT proposal here in Surrey. Since opening in December of last year, the Finch West LRT has become known for its slow travel speeds (to the extent that both existing buses and athletic runners were faster than the LRTs) and various reliability issues, especially in winter weather.
Luckily, Torontonians are fast learners—the city’s Mayor Olivia Chow has moved to potentially convert a future LRT extension in east Scarborough into a grade-separated SkyTrain-like system, instead of a street-running LRT. But for Torontonians who ride the LRT on Finch West, this is something they will have to deal with forever.
That is, unless they can convince the city to replace the on-street tracks with elevated tracks (something Seattle wants to do).
Commuter Chaos
SkyTrain for Surrey is a BC-based community organization that has advocated for the expansion of the Vancouver SkyTrain system, including our successful advocacy for the under-construction Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension.
Commuter Chaos stories are our documentation of the inevitable outcome of choosing an LRT system, especially when it is chosen in place of a SkyTrain or a grade-separated metro.
Media Contact: Daryl Dela Cruz – Founder, SkyTrain for Surrey ・ Phone: +1 604 329 3529, [email protected]
