TTC testing new Line 1 extension to York Region
Two weeks ago the King Street pilot project went underway to help alleviate streetcar congestion along the route. Now the TTC is test running the new Line 1 subway extension using “ghost trains”. The new extension is meant to give those in the York Region a long awaited subway route into the city.
"Starting today, we are running ghost service along our new Line 1 extension service," said Heather Brown, spokesperson for the TTC, on Sunday. "Customers will get off at Sheppard West station but the trains will continue up the line."
The extension will run from Sheppard West, and features six new stations along its 8.6 kilometer path. The $3.1 billion dollar extension is set to open to the public on December 17th.
According to Brown, the test runs will allow the operators to better understand their routes and flush out any logistical problems.
"The operators will stop at each of the stations and they do this to familiarize themselves with where they need to stop in the stations. They'll open the doors and mimic as if customers are getting off. They'll close the doors and they'll go to the next station. And that will happen right up until the end of the line," she said. "This just gives them an opportunity to get a sense of what the timing will feel like in the stations."
The train travels from the Sheppard West station to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station, and according to the TTC it should take roughly 12 minutes. The new line is ideal for those in the York Region who wish to easily enter the city.
"These stations are new to the Line 1 system. It opens a whole new world of transit for people north of Steeles Avenue who would have typically taken the bus to our stations," Brown said. "These people can now hop onto a subway and come down into Toronto using the subway, which is a much faster journey than travelling on a bus and then transferring to a subway."