Toronto gives up on LRT: Mayor to convert Scarborough East LRT into a SkyTrain
- Reality Check
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- April 9, 2026
Having closely watched the response to the long-delayed openings of the Line 5 and Line 6 LRTs, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has finally acknowledged what many of us here in Surrey already know: that light rail isn’t automatically “rapid” transit.
In a letter to the city’s Executive Committee, Mayor Chow made bold moves on a previously proposed 18.6-kilometre “Eglinton East LRT”: first, she renamed it the “Scarborough East Rapid Transit” project (note the omission of “LRT” or “light rail” in the new project name); then, she noted in her letter—and clarified again later on social media—that she expects that the design of the line will be changed so that it is grade-separated from traffic, highlighting that she had set aside city money to specifically study this:
https://twitter.com/MayorOliviaChow/status/2042254342867063196
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It would appear that the wheels are now in motion for the conversion of this LRT project into a SkyTrain, something that has happened multiple times in the past here in Greater Vancouver (including here in Surrey and Langley!)
After three problematic experiences with LRT, Toronto has given up.
It is totally understandable that politicians in Ontario and the Greater Toronto region are looking to convert previous LRT proposals into faster, grade-separated lines. The issues surrounding the first two LRTs in Toronto (the Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown and Line 6 Finch West) gained significant traction when those lines were opened to the public. However, a third line that is still under construction has also proven to be a problematic experience due to its massive construction delays, not to mention a significantly escalated budget.
In nearby Mississauga (often said to be the Toronto-area equivalent of Surrey), the 20.5-kilometre Hazel McCallion LRT line—officially “Line 10” in Greater Toronto, and previously known as the Hurontario LRT—has quite literally gone off the rails. Originally expected to open to the public in 2024, crews recently admitted (in February 2026) that only 45% of the LRT track (less than half) has actually been laid.
The LRT project has been causing enormous traffic disruption in Mississauga for 6 long years, since its construction began in 2020. Although this is a 4-year head start on our Surrey Langley SkyTrain, Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish recently acknowledged that she does not expect the Hazel McCallion LRT line to be completed and open to the public until 2029—the same year our SkyTrain is expected to open.
This extended construction timeline has also had a major impact on the budget—one that I think Surrey residents would be keen to take note of. With the recent restoration of a 2.5-kilometre “downtown loop” segment, Ontario Premier Doug Ford acknowledged that the overall budget for the Hazel McCallion LRT line, including both the original 18 kilometres and the new 2.5-kilometre loop, has escalated to $6.2 billion.
This means that Mississauga has spent more to build a slow, ground-level LRT than we in Surrey and Langley have spent to build a SkyTrain.
(The budget for the Surrey Langley SkyTrain is $5.996 billion.)
Premier Doug Ford says the HurOntario LRT cost will grow by $1.6 billion, up from $4.6 B, as the province revives the downtown loop. #onpoli
— Colin D'Mello | Global News (@ColinDMello) February 4, 2026
Pictured in header: Metrolinx concept of an elevated LRT line in Toronto
Reality Check
Reality Check is the online blog run by the founder of SkyTrain for Surrey, a BC-based community organization that has advocated for the expansion of the Vancouer SkyTrain system, including our successful advocacy for the under-construction Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension.
Media Contact: Daryl Dela Cruz – Founder, SkyTrain for Surrey ・ Phone: +1 604 329 3529, [email protected]
