Since the June 2023 provincial funding approval covered in the original article, the SmartTrack Stations Program has undergone a significant contraction. In November 2024, Ontario’s Transportation Minister formally notified Mayor Chow that ballooning costs driven by rising interest rates, material prices and labour had pushed the program beyond its CA$1.689 billion budget. At its December 2024 meeting, Toronto City Council voted to prioritise delivery of only three stations: East Harbour, Bloor-Lansdowne and St. Clair-Old Weston. Design work on the Finch-Kennedy and King-Liberty stations has been paused indefinitely, pending additional intergovernmental funding that neither the province nor the city is currently prepared to commit.

Contracts Awarded, Construction Active at Two Sites

Despite the scope reduction, active construction is now underway at the two most advanced stations. The East Harbour Transit Hub construction contract was awarded in March 2025 to a joint venture of AtkinsRéalis and Bird Construction, working alongside Hatch Ltd. Early works at Bloor-Lansdowne were already in progress before the December 2024 vote, with contract cancellation ruled out due to the financial penalties it would have triggered. The construction contract for St. Clair-Old Weston is expected to be awarded by Metrolinx in 2026. The program completion date has been pushed from March 2029 to December 2031. This renewed focus on delivery discipline comes as other major infrastructure programs are also moving into full execution in the Greater Toronto Area, including the Pearson LIFT program, which has broken ground on a CA$3 billion overhaul aimed at modernising Toronto Pearson International Airport’s airfield systems, passenger capacity, and long-term operational resilience.

Project Overview

• Project Name: SmartTrack Stations Program
• Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada (stations on existing GO rail corridors at East Harbour, Bloor-Lansdowne, St. Clair-Old Weston, Finch-Kennedy and King-Liberty)
• Developer / Owner: City of Toronto (client); Metrolinx (delivery, ownership and operations upon completion)
• Total Cost / Value: CA$1.689 billion (program budget, inclusive of all three government contributions)
• Scale / Capacity: Three stations now prioritised for delivery; originally five; projected to bring 110,000 new daily GO rail riders by 2031
• Construction Start: Bloor-Lansdowne early works began 2024; East Harbour contract awarded March 2025; St. Clair-Old Weston contract award expected 2026
• Expected Completion: December 2031 (revised from March 2029)
• Funding / Financing: CA$878 million from City of Toronto; CA$585 million from Government of Canada; CA$226 million from Province of Ontario
• Current Status: Active construction at East Harbour and Bloor-Lansdowne; St. Clair-Old Weston in pre-construction; Finch-Kennedy and King-Liberty design paused
• Key Milestone: East Harbour Transit Hub construction contract awarded to AtkinsRéalis and Bird Construction joint venture in March 2025

Project Team

• City of Toronto — Client and primary funder (CA$878 million contribution)
• Metrolinx — Program delivery authority, future owner and operator of all stations
• Government of Canada — Federal funder (CA$585 million contribution via Public Transit Infrastructure Stream, Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program)
• Province of Ontario — Provincial funder (CA$226 million contribution)
• Infrastructure Ontario — Delivery support and procurement oversight
• AtkinsRéalis — Joint venture lead contractor, East Harbour Transit Hub
• Bird Construction — Joint venture contractor, East Harbour Transit Hub
• Hatch Ltd. — Engineering consultant, East Harbour Transit Hub
• Cadillac Fairview — Transit-Oriented Community developer, East Harbour site
• Canadian Taxpayers Federation — Accountability watchdog, calling for auditor general review of deferred station spending

Reported 26th June 2023: Toronto City Council recently voted to direct $226 million in provincial funding for work on the SmartTrack stations program. The report approved unanimously can be viewed on the city’s website.

Since the first budget development, the market environment has altered significantly. The implementation of the SmartTrack Stations Program has come under a lot of strain as a result of a number of reasons. These include supply chain uncertainty, ongoing inflation in construction costs, and instability in market participation and labour supply.

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The city and province councils discussed details of construction funding. According to deputy mayor Jennifer McKelvey, the transportation program will start building as soon as possible. It will have a revised budget that exceeds $1.68 billion. With extra funds secured, Metrolinx and the City of Toronto may start preparing various sites for the construction of the SmartTrack. They will move forward with awarding a design-build contract for the Bloor-Lansdowne station.

Bloor-Lansdowne, East Harbour, Finch-Kennedy, King-Liberty, and St. Clair-Old Weston are among the other locations where stations are slated to open.

More on the Toronto SmartTrack program

SmartTrack will transform Toronto’s heavy rail infrastructure for regional commuter service into an urban rapid transit network. This is in conjunction with Metrolinx’s GO expansion initiative. Additionally, City Council reaffirmed its support for fare integration across all transportation systems in the Toronto region by a unanimous vote.

The $226 million deal with the Province of Ontario is fantastic news for Toronto’s transit system, according to McKelvie. “The City of Toronto and the Government of Canada’s existing financing obligations are safeguarded by the Council’s approval of this provincial funding.

“Most significantly, it advances SmartTrack. We will tremendously benefit Toronto residents and expand their transportation alternatives. Converting the city’s current rail infrastructure from a regional commuter service to an urban rapid transit network will help us do so.