It was another rough day for transit riders using the Line 6 Finch West due to several issues along the line on Tuesday.
The problems started around 6 a.m. and full service resumed around noon. Shuttle buses were running during the delays and continued to run once service resumed to supplement service.
“Line 6 experienced multiple service challenges during this morning’s rush hour, including frozen switches and disabled light rail vehicles,” a TTC spokesperson said in a update on Tuesday afternoon.
The TTC outlined and explained the issues in the summary below:
Just before 6 a.m., ice buildup on the switch at Martin Grove led to limited access to both platforms at Humber College Station. As a result, service was suspended between Humber College and Martin Grove stations while repairs were taking place. Service on the line resumed around 6:40 a.m.
Around an hour later, a light-rail vehicle lost power near Mount Olive Station. Service was reduced to a single track, which resulted in slower service through the area. Shuttle buses were running between Mount Olive and Martin Grove stations. Service resumed on Line 6 once the stalled train was moved just before noon.
Just after 7 a.m., the TTC said another switch issue was discovered at Milvan Rumike. Service was suspended across the entire line but resumed just after 7:20 a.m.
Then, around 8:20 a.m., another light-rail vehicle stalled eastbound as it was departing Sentinel Station. As a result, service was suspended between Tobermory and Finch West. Riders were transferred onto a TTC bus. Service resumed service just after 10 a.m. once the train was moved.
The TTC said due to the earlier issue at Mount Olive, LRT service on the west end of the line was running at a slower speed. Shuttle buses were in place to supplement service until the issue was cleared after noon.
“During the delays, TTC operations staff were in touch with the contracted maintainer of the line infrastructure (track/switches/signals) and vehicles, Mosaic Transit Group. As you know, the TTC only operates the line so we cannot speak to any maintenance issues. We are offering advice and support as an experienced transit operator for more than 100 years. However, both the TTC and Metrolinx are working jointly under this new partnership model and during this soft opening period,” the TTC said in a statement.
The TTC said starting at 5 a.m., shuttle buses were already on standby at Finch West and Tobermory stations in case Monday’s switch issues at Sentinel Station happened again.
Tuesday’s issues add to a growing list of challenges for the line since it opened in December. Line 6 has experienced multiple outages tied to weather, switch issues and mechanical problems in its first weeks of operation. The TTC has said the line is in a “soft launch” period until the spring and during this time, they are still smoothing out the rough edges.
Last week, the line was shut down at least three times due to weather‑related conditions.