Entire TTC line goes out of service in embarrassing blow amid FIFA World Cup
An entire TTC transit line was shut down amid Tuesday's morning rush, giving FIFA World Cup visitors from across the globe a true taste of Toronto's transit system woes.
The TTC has shuttered the entire Line 5 Eglinton, a brand-new light rail line that is only four months old — but better known for its decade-and-a-half of delays and cost overruns before finally welcoming its first passengers in February.
Problems started during the heart of rush hour on Tuesday morning, with service halted along a large portion of the line just after 7 a.m., resuming minutes later, only for the entire line to be pulled from service by 7:45 a.m.
Line 5 Eglinton: No service between Mount Dennis and Kennedy stations while the maintainer fixes a signal problem. Shuttle buses are on the way to operate between Mount Dennis and Kennedy.Shuttle buses have been ordered and will operate.
— TTC Service Alerts (@TTCnotices) June 16, 2026
The outage was immediately met with frustration from riders, who have had to deal with years of headaches related to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project, only to see these woes continue following the route's opening as the TTC's Line 5.
Another day another full line 5 failure. There needs to be a full public inquiry into this clusterfuck of an LRT design
— moron leafs fan 🐀 (@STBrown22) June 16, 2026
Citing a signal problem on the line, the TTC deployed shuttle buses to keep crowds moving, but the unplanned closure undoubtedly struck a nerve for some.
TTC CEO to bow in public, televised nationwide for all these problems & inconveniences to the public. These overpaid & technically-underserving executives should be ashamed of themselves
— Bad Buddy Fan Canada (@BadBuddyCanada) June 16, 2026
The Line 5 outage was ultimately cleared just after 8:15 a.m., but the hiccup is a poorly timed one. The TTC spent the last several months rushing through a repair backlog ahead of the FIFA World Cup games in Toronto.
Line 5 Eglinton Regular service has resumed between Mount Dennis and Kennedy stations. https://t.co/Qc5x6CWomE
— TTC Service Alerts (@TTCnotices) June 16, 2026
While many visitors have indeed been impressed by Toronto's transit network, Tuesday's outage is the first real crack in the facade presented to visitors.
Fareen Karim
