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Artist’s rendering of the future East Harbour Transit Hub, which will connect GO Transit and the Ontario Line in Toronto. (Image: © King’s Printer for Ontario, 2012-2025)
Rail Connect Partners, a 50-50 joint venture between Bird Construction Inc. and AtkinsRéalis, has finalized and signed a Project Alliance Agreement with Metrolinx to deliver the East Harbour Transit Hub. The project, which will connect transit users to both GO Transit and the Ontario Line, is a joint initiative of the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto.
The execution phase of the project includes completion of the rail corridor and bridge widening over an important thoroughfare, which will continue to be undertaken in planned phases to keep GO Transit services running with minimal impact. The execution phase will also include the commencement of the station works and associated infrastructure and future road extension to facilitate a future streetcar connection.
“The Metrolinx team is proud to work with partners in government and industry to deliver more transit options, reduce commute times, and ease congestion. East Harbour station will be one of the most important nodes on the region’s transit map. It will connect the Ontario Line to an expanded GO network in a way that will completely re-shape how we move through Toronto and beyond,” said Michael Lindsay, interim president and CEO of Metrolinx.
The East Harbour Transit Hub, located immediately east of the Don Valley Parkway and south of Eastern Avenue, will serve the Riverdale, Riverside and Leslieville communities.
“The investments we are making in transit and infrastructure are helping fight gridlock and speed up commutes for millions of people across Ontario, including the 100,000 transit users who are expected to use the East Harbour Transit Hub every day,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s minister of transportation. “By making these investments, we are also supporting thousands of good-paying jobs in Ontario’s construction sector at a time when, in the face of U.S. tariffs that are taking direct aim at Canada’s economy, it’s never been more important to help keep our workers on the job.”
Once complete, the hub is expected to serve approximately 100,000 daily riders, split between the Ontario Line and GO Transit. The hub is part of the government’s plan to make public transit in the GTHA more convenient, helping divert as many as 14,000 people from Union Station during rush hour peaks and reducing congestion at the station by up to 14 per cent.
“Bird’s continued work on the East Harbour Transit Hub, one of the first major transit projects in Canada to use an alliance contracting model, leverages our extensive collaborative contracting experience, comprehensive self-perform capabilities, and expanding national Infrastructure presence,” said Teri McKibbon, president and CEO of Bird. “We look forward to our continued collaboration with Metrolinx and our other alliance team members and stakeholders to deliver this landmark infrastructure project that will improve the quality of life for the Greater Toronto community for years to come.”