Transit Briefs: Metro Transit, Sound Transit, Metrolinx, Metrolink, SEPTA, STM
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
The first light rail train is pulled along the Green Line Extension near the Southwest Station in Eden Prairie, Minn., to test the tracks the entire length of the line. (Caption and Photograph Courtesy of Metro Transit)
The METRO Green Line Extension in Minneapolis marks a milestone. Also, final testing is under way for Sound Transit’s Federal Way Link Extension in Seattle and is complete for Metrolinx’s Finch West LRT project in Ontario, Canada; Southern California’s Metrolink expands its “smart” crossing technology; Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) postpones bus purchases, a station accessibility project, and the Frazer Railroad Facility expansion; and STM (Société de transport de Montréal) pursues mediation to avoid metro and bus driver strikes.
Metro Transit
The first light rail trains are now rolling on the METRO Green Line Extension, marking a milestone for the project that has already catalyzed $3.1 billion in new development across five Twin Cities communities, according to Metro Transit, which operates under the Metropolitan Council to provide an integrated network of buses, light rail and microtransit.
Civil construction on the 14.5-mile extension connecting Target Field in downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie is 95% complete, Metro Transit reported Oct. 23, and has entered the track, signal, and systems testing phase. Testing will continue through 2026, with service expected to begin in 2027.
The extension will serve 16 stations across Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie, connecting the southwest metro to the region’s existing light rail network (see map, top).
According to Metro Transit, the corridor is experiencing unprecedented growth, with $3.1 billion in housing, retail, and entertainment projects already built, under construction, or permitted, and another $700 million in new investment being planned by developers.
“Projects like the METRO Green Line Extension are smart investments in our region’s future,” Met Council Interim Chair Deb Barber said. “They connect homes to businesses, schools to hospitals, and communities to opportunities—and those connections attract even more investment. The numbers tell the story: Land near METRO transit projects represents just 2% of taxable property in the region yet generates 20% of our property tax revenue.”
“Light rail projects like the Green Line Extension are essential to our region and state’s economic growth and environmental resiliency,” added Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene. “They will connect generations of people and businesses to opportunities to build wealth and stability. The burden of car ownership is becoming more costly for residents and our environment. Light rail is a reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound transportation option that provides an undeniable return on investment. Generational investments like the Green Line Extension will pay dividends for decades to come, fueling our regional economy, reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, and bolstering our state for the future.”
Metro Transit reported that each city along the corridor is experiencing significant development spurred by the transit investment:
• Eden Prairie – $560 million in new development.
- 1,000 new multi-family units, including 140 affordable units.
- $316 million in commercial development.
- $36 million in industrial projects.
• Minnetonka – More than $373 million in new development.
- 1,700 new multi-family housing units, including 530 affordable units.
- $92 million in commercial development.
- $14 million in industrial investment.
• Hopkins – More than $329 million in new development.
- 1,300 new multi-family housing units, including 260 affordable units.
- $27 million in commercial development.
- $9 million in industrial investment.
• St. Louis Park – More than $497 million in new development.
- 1,500 new multi-family housing units, including 290 affordable units.
- $48 million in commercial development.
- $24 million in industrial investment.
- $170 million in public and institutional projects.
• Minneapolis – $1.37 billion in new development.
- Over 3,800 new multi-family housing units, including 660 affordable units.
- $477 million in commercial development.
- $28 million in industrial development .
“The Green Line Extension caps a transformative year for the region’s METRO system,” Metro Transit reported. “In 2025, the METRO Gold Line launched in the east metro, connecting St. Paul to Woodbury, and the METRO B Line began serving the corridor between South Minneapolis and Downtown St. Paul. Before year’s end, the METRO E Line will launch, linking the University of Minnesota to Edina.”
Sound Transit
The Federal Way Link Extension is in the home stretch, Sound Transit reported Oct. 24. Simulated service for the light rail project is under way south of Angle Lake to the Federal Way Downtown Station, stopping at Kent Des Moines and Star Lake stations along the way. This testing will ensure that stations, tracks, utilities, escalators, elevators, systems, and vehicles all work together as planned prior to opening day on Dec. 6.
The 7.8-mile project extends Sound Transit’s regional light rail system via mostly elevated tracks between SeaTac and Federal Way. It includes three new stations in Kent Des Moines near Highline College, Star Lake, and Downtown Federal Way. These stations will connect to other regional transit services like ST Express, King County Metro, and Pierce Transit. By design, the stations will support transfers between Link light rail and buses.
After the 1 Line extension Federal Way opens and after the World Cup in 2026, ST Express bus service will change to incorporate the new light rail stations.
Metrolinx
The Revenue Service Demonstration (RSD) for the Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) has finished, the Ontario government reported Oct. 23. With the final 30-day “dry run” complete, it said, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will assume full operational control of the line no later than Nov. 3, 2025, with an opening date to be determined by the TTC as it trains staff and prepares to launch the new light rail service for the public.
The line, also known as Line 6 Finch West, includes two stations and 16 stops and will move more than 51,000 riders each weekday, with 12 million annual trips expected by 2031. It runs on a dedicated, primarily street-level track, providing transit to communities along Finch Avenue West from Finch West Station—an interchange with TTC Line 1—and across the Greater Toronto Area to Humber Polytechnic’s North Campus (see map below). Major construction, including all stations and stops for the Finch West LRT, wrapped up in fall 2024.
Once open to the public, Line 6 Finch West will offer connections to local and regional transit, including TTC buses, GO Transit, MiWay, York Region Transit and Brampton Züm.
“We are excited that the Finch West LRT’s revenue service demonstration (RSD) has successfully passed,” Metrolinx President and CEO Michael Lindsay said. “This is a significant milestone for the project, which brings it closer to an opening date that will benefit the 51,000 daily riders expected to use the line. The TTC is to define a first day of service in the next few days.”
The Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (ECLRT) is currently undergoing its own RSD, according to the government, noting that when that RSD is complete, the ECLRT will also be turned over to the TTC in preparation for the launch of passenger service.
“In response to the delays surrounding the construction of the ECLRT, which began construction under the previous government in 2011, the current government has made a number of changes to cut red tape, speed up and bring predictability to the construction of transit projects, including the Finch West LRT, which began construction in 2019,” the Ontario government reported. “These changes, which are helping the government deliver the largest expansion of public transit in North America, include: using simpler, proven signal and power systems from other LRT projects to reduce design complexity and technical risk, making delivery, testing and commissioning smoother; working collaboratively with building partners to identify critical funding for testing and commissioning and ensuring claims and legal barriers do not impact this process; and onboarding the maintenance provider earlier in the process to ensure the fleet and line are ready for service sooner.”
The government also reported that on Nov. 16, 2025, it will open the Mount Dennis GO and UP Station, connecting riders to GO Transit’s Kitchener Line and UP Express. In addition, Eglinton West Station will also open its fare-free underground pathway under Eglinton Avenue West, which will reduce congestion at the intersection of Eglinton Avenue West and Allen Road and help pedestrians safely navigate the intersection, the government noted. The ECLRT stations at Mount Dennis and Eglinton West will open to the public along with the rest of the line at a later date, at which point Eglinton West Station will be renamed Cedarvale Station, according to the government.
Metrolink
Metrolink has expanded its Wireless Crossing Nearside Station Stop (WCNSS) technology to Los Angeles County with implementation this month at two crossings near the Baldwin Park Station, the regional passenger rail provider reported Oct. 23. The new “smart” systems, designed to improve surface traffic flow and safety for pedestrians and drivers near Metrolink stations, went live at rail crossings on either side of the station: Pacific Avenue to the west and Ramona Boulevard to the east.
“Previously, safety gates at the Pacific Avenue crossing would activate more than once when westbound Metrolink San Bernardino Line trains traversed the area, adding to local traffic congestion,” Metrolink said. “Eastbound trains had a similar effect at Ramona Boulevard. The new WCNSS systems address this issue by communicating in real time with Metrolink’s Positive Train Control (PTC) network. They allow the crossing gates to remain idle while trains are approaching or stopped at the station and activate only when they are ready to resume their routes. This reduces delays, easing frustration and enhancing safety for not only train passengers and crews, but also the surrounding community.”
Metrolink first introduced WCNSS technology at an active crossing at Del Obispo Street in Orange County’s San Juan Capistrano in June 2024. In the first year of operation, nearby drivers and pedestrians have been “spared an estimated 1,584 activations and 36 hours of delays,” according to the regional passenger rail operator.
Metrolink has been expanding WCNSS to new locations throughout its 545-mile system. The Pacific Avenue and Ramona Boulevard crossings are the fifth and sixth locations to go live and mark the first appearance of WCNSS in Los Angeles County. So far in 2025, this technology has also been installed at: Juniper Avenue in Fontana (February 2025, San Bernardino County); Columbia Avenue in Riverside (June 2025, Riverside County); and Moorpark Avenue in Moorpark (June 2025, Ventura County).
WCNSS was originally developed for seven rail crossings on Metrolink’s Arrow system, which in 2022 launched three DMUs (Diesel Multiple Units) into service between San Bernardino and Redlands, Calif. Metrolink said it then explored implementing WCNSS at active crossings, identifying priority locations in each county. In total, 52 crossings have been marked for WCNSS upgrades, with work at Sierra Avenue in Fontana expected to be completed during the first half of 2026. The agency said it continues to pursue funding to integrate WCNSS at the remaining sites.
Work near the Baldwin Park Station was supported by a combination of sources, including a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program grant awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration in 2018.
“Our investment in ‘smart’ technologies demonstrates how Metrolink is leveraging innovation to shape the future of rail travel in Southern California,” City of Pomona Mayor and Metrolink Board Director Tim Sandoval said. “WCNSS is producing measurable wins for customers and community members, and the results are drawing national attention.”
Further Reading:
- Metrolink to Pilot Track Intrusion Detection
- For Metrolink, More ‘Smart Crossing’ Tech Installations
SEPTA
The SEPTA Board on Oct. 23 voted to amend the FY26 Capital Budget and FY26 Program of Projects by transferring $394 million of federal, state, and local Capital funds to the Operating Budget.
“PennDOT approved the emergency request last month to help SEPTA avoid service cuts for the next two years,” reported the transit agency. “However, transferring capital funds to support operations requires capital project offsets. As a result, SEPTA will defer the purchase of new buses, the Bristol Regional Rail Station accessibility project, and the construction of a new building at the Frazer Railroad Facility.”
Under this amendment, SEPTA will postpone:
- The purchase of 247 new hybrid diesel-electric buses by three years ($256 million).
- The project designed to bring Bristol Station on the Trenton Line into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act ($46 million).
- The final phase of an expansion to the Frazer Railroad Facility ($39 million).
- The purchase of hydrogen and electric-powered buses for SEPTA’s zero-emission pilot program ($41 million).
- The retrofitting of existing hybrid buses to run exclusively on electric power ($11 million).
These deferred initiatives are on top of the 44 planned infrastructure projects that SEPTA had previously paused to cut $1.8 billion to address a gap between the costs of the work and available funding in the original FY26 Capital Budget, according to the transit agency.
The Capital funds are expected to be available for Operating relief in January 2026, SEPTA said.
“The Board supports these project deferrals because they do not compromise safety by stopping crucial repairs,” SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. said. “We also do not want to disrupt projects that are already under way, including the replacement of the Market-Frankford Line [L] and Trolley cars.”
“Using capital funds for operations keeps us moving today, but it pushes those critical investments further down the road,” SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said. “We stand ready to continue working with leaders in Harrisburg to develop a long-term solution that addresses both our operating needs and the capital investment so critical to our future.”
Further Reading:
STM
The Canadian Press on Oct. 23 reported that STM, Montreal’s public transit agency, “has asked the provincial government to appoint a mediator to help settle a labour dispute with bus and metro drivers, who are set to join maintenance workers and walk off the job next month.”
According to the national news agency, some 4,500 transit workers “announced they intend to strike on Nov. 1, 15 and 16,” and “about 2,400 maintenance employees who have gone on strike twice since June have announced labour action for most of November.”
STM General Director Marie-Claude Léonard told the media in Montreal that “We’re going to do everything we can to avoid this strike. We’re convinced that the presence of a mediator will get us closer to reaching an agreement.”
The Canadian Press said that the transit agency and maintenance workers have been in mediation since Oct. 7, “but that didn’t stop the union from announcing a third strike, this time from Halloween night until Nov. 28. The members say they will refuse to work overtime and limit bus and metro service outside rush hours, but the full details of the strike have yet to be announced.”
Transit travel was disrupted by maintenance worker strikes in June (nine days) and in late September through early October (two weeks), according to The Canadian Press, which said the transit network logged approximately 1 million trips per day last year.
“Léonard said talks are stalled because the agency is not willing to make cuts to essential services that she said are inevitable if they were to meet the maintenance union’s salary demands,” the national news agency reported. “‘Cutting services is not an option,’ she said. ‘Right now, the union’s demands at the table would require us to cut 10 per cent of bus service, which is unacceptable.’”
According to The Canadian Press, STM spokesperson Katherine Roux-Groleau “said they contacted Quebec’s labour minister to ask for a mediator as soon as they got word the bus and metro drivers were planning to walk off the job. Their collective agreement expired in January.”
Roux-Groleau said that STM is “still undergoing a negotiation blitz at the moment with the drivers,” according to The Canadian Press. “Several meetings are currently booked, and as soon as the mediator is appointed, (they’ll) be added to those meetings,” she noted.
According to the national news agency report, Frédéric Therrien, who heads the bus and metro drivers union, “said his team is willing to meet with a mediator. The workers decided to strike after more than 50 negotiation sessions with the transit agency, he added.”
The transit agency “needs to cut $100 million over the next three years” and “[a]s a result, the agency must abolish 300 positions,” according to Léonard, The Canadian Press reported.
STM, the news agency said, “decried [in March] a roughly $258-million reduction in provincial funding over three years for the upkeep of the metro system, far from the $585 million it had asked for.”
