Eglinton LRT emergency brake issue clouds planned opening

Officials reported a small number of tests in which automatic emergency brakes activated unexpectedly on the Eglinton Crosstown vehicles. Metrolinx said TTC officials confirmed no safety-critical issues remained after recent meetings, and a Feb. 8 opening date remains possible but unconfirmed.

The Eglinton Crosstown light-rail line faces uncertainty days before a possible launch amid reports of unexpected automatic emergency brake activations. The TTC, which will operate the 19-kilometre line, and Metrolinx, which oversaw the project, discussed the incidents during late-stage testing. The project has been under construction for many years and at a high cost, and officials held meetings to review technical explanations. No formal opening announcement had been made at the time of reporting. Known details: - Test runs reportedly showed a handful of occasions when automatic emergency brakes appeared to activate for no apparent reason and brought cars to a stop. - The TTC identified the incidents in recent testing and raised them as a potential safety concern in last-minute launch discussions. - Metrolinx said that at a Jan. 20 meeting the TTC confirmed "no safety critical issues were outstanding," and that staff completed a large-scale simulation of full operations. - Metrolinx said it has been providing information and data to the TTC in response to requests, and technical explanations for the braking incidents were reported as provided after subsequent meetings. - Local media and officials have discussed Feb. 8 as a possible opening date, but no official launch date has been announced. Summary: Metrolinx and the TTC conducted technical reviews after testing showed unexpected brake activations, and officials reported explanations were provided in meetings. The reported Feb. 8 opening remains possible but has not been confirmed. Undetermined at this time.