Entire TTC line will shut down for full long weekend and it's only 5 months old

TTC closures this weekend will include a full LRT line, one that's only been operational for a few months.

The TTC plans to shut down service on the entire Line 6 (Finch West) LRT from May 15 through May 18, 2026 — the entirety of the Victoria Day long weekend — citing "planned infrastructure and system improvement work undertaken by Metrolinx" as the reason for the closure.

The transit agency states that the closure affects Humber College to Finch West stations, which, let's be clear, is the entirety of the route's 18-stop, 10.3-kilometre run.

For anyone keeping count, it's been just over five months since Line 6 entered service, a milestone which itself occurred almost five years past the initially projected completion year of 2021.

And the launch of this new service didn't exactly go off without a hitch, either. Line 6 suffered numerous weather-related closures and over 350 delays in its first month of service.

Service has since improved steadily with increases to on-time performance every month since the line's opening and a reduction in round-trip travel times by 16 minutes. With all that said, a full closure of the line for "system improvement work" just months after opening might come as a bit of a shock to transit users.

Metrolinx has stated that "The closure will temporarily suspend all service across the entire line to complete important upgrades and enhancements to further improve system reliability and performance," adding that "Completing this work in a single, coordinated closure reduces the need for multiple repeated service interruptions later."

According to the Metrolinx, which constructed and owns the TTC-operated line, the "coordinated closure also provides TTC with the opportunity to train additional staff for key positions, using this window for hands-on training not possible while trains are running."

The transit agency states that the closure will allow the route to further improve on the overall 25 per cent on-time performance increase since opening.

As for the timing of the work, just months after opening, Metrolinx and the TTC have both been rushing forward on infrastructure improvements in the months leading up to the busy summer events season, which will launch in just a few weeks with the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

During the Line 6 closure, shuttle buses will replace LRT trains, while overnight service will be provided on the 336 Finch West route.

Regular service on Line 6 is set to resume on the morning of Tuesday, May 19, 2026.