TTC withdraws Dundas Station platform door pilot, deferring project to 2026 budget talks due to $4.1B system cost concerns.
TTC Withdraws Platform Door Pilot from 2025 Plan
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has withdrawn its proposed 2025 pilot to install platform edge doors at Dundas Station. The decision, made at a board meeting on Monday, shifts focus to next year’s strategic planning discussions, deferring the pilot to be considered under the TTC’s 2026 budget priorities.
Safety Technology Deferred Over High Price Tag
Platform edge doors (PEDs) are automated barriers separating subway platforms from tracks. Designed to prevent accidents, suicides, and delays caused by track intrusions, the system has been under TTC review for years. According to the latest capital report, installing PEDs across Lines 1, 2, and 4 would cost approximately $4.1 billion. The estimated cost for two platforms at a single station ranges from $44 million to $55 million.
Political Pushback on Postponement
Toronto City Councillor Josh Matlow voiced concern over the decision to halt the pilot. Speaking at the board meeting, he urged the commission not to let the initiative “disappear into committee.” Matlow stressed the need to begin at high-risk stations and warned against letting the project be “studied into non-existence.” He added that data should guide eventual system-wide implementation.
Focus Turns to Broader Review and Alternatives
In place of the pilot, the board directed TTC staff to explore additional safety measures. These include technically viable methods to detect or prevent what are described as “track-level intrusions.” TTC spokesperson Stuart Green explained these incidents involve service delays caused by people or objects on the tracks—ranging from mental health crises to passengers retrieving dropped items.
Financial Reality Behind the Reversal
Board Chair Coun. Jamaal Myers, who led the motion to cancel the pilot, cited cost as the driving factor. He described platform doors as “a very expensive undertaking at this point.” Myers emphasized the need to weigh the project against other TTC priorities and explore more affordable safety technologies. “It’s not just tragic for families—it’s traumatic for our employees too,” he said, referencing the emotional toll of track-level fatalities.
Long-Term Planning Still on the Table
The canceled Dundas pilot was intended to test implementation logistics, operating challenges, and public response before rolling out the technology system-wide. TTC’s internal report noted that a pilot would also help refine cost estimates, operational impacts, and maintenance requirements. While the pilot is off the table for now, the board signaled its intent to revisit the project as part of 2026 strategic planning.
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