Canada pledges $333 million for Finch West light-rail line

The Canadian government plans to commit up to CA$333 million for the Finch West light-rail project in Toronto, Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca announced late last week.

Expected to cost CA$1.2 billion, the project involves building a 6.83-mile light-rail line along the surface of Finch Avenue in Toronto. The route will originate at the Toronto Transit Commission's future Finch West subway station on the Toronto-York Spadina expansion.

The Finch West light-rail line will include 16 surface stops, a below-ground terminus stop at Humber College, and a maintenance and storage facility for the light-rail cars.

The light-rail route is slated to move more people faster through the Finch West corridor than the existing bus service, according to a press release issued by Infrastructure Canada.

Metrolinx, which is overseeing the project, last month ordered 17 Citadis Spirit light-rail cars from Alstom as part of a 61-unit purchase.

In recent weeks, the Canadian government has pledged support for a number of transit expansions, including a new 41-mile light-rail system in Montreal and an extension of Ottawa's O-Train network.