Ontario Line subway just crossed one of biggest milestones so far

The $34-billion Ontario Line subway just crossed a key milestone on Friday with the breakthrough of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) at the future King West Station.

The provincial government announced on Friday that the first TBM, nicknamed Libby for the Liberty Village neighbourhood, broke through the King West Station headwall after tunnelling approximately 1.3 kilometres from its launch shaft near Exhibition Place.

Since launching in April, Libby has carved through bedrock deep below street level along its path between the future Exhibition and King West stations, installing 780 concrete tunnel lining rings to form the first section of the future Ontario Line.

The first Ontario Line tunnel boring machine, Libby, has broken through at the future King West Station after tunnelling its way 1.3 kilometres from Exhibition Station. It’s another great sign of the progress being made on the transformational Ontario Line, which is supporting 4,700 jobs every year and putting nearly 230,000 people in walking distance of transit. https://t.co/jopRFZ039c

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) November 6, 2026

"Every kilometre of tunnelling brings us closer to delivering a new subway line that will transform how people travel across Toronto," said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. 

With the tunnel breakthrough complete, crews will use this opportunity to carry out testing and maintenance on the massive TBM before it proceeds northeast towards the future Chinatown Station at Queen and Spadina.

Metrolinx

Meanwhile, the second TBM carving the line — dubbed Corkie for the Corktown neighbourhood where it will complete its path — will soon break through the adjacent tunnel headwall to complete the parallel tunnel which will carry trains travelling the opposite direction. Corkie's breakthrough is anticipated for December.

The future King West Station is expected to serve approximately 5,100 passengers per hour at peak periods, and will serve the busy King West nightlife strip as well as the adjacent Fashion District.

Metrolinx

Once construction wraps up in the 2030s, the much-anticipated line is expected to carry 390,000 daily passengers and place 230,000 residents within walking distance of rapid transit.