Consortium behind Eglinton Crosstown LRT intends to launch litigation, Metrolinx says

Metrolinx says the consortium behind building the Eglinton Crosstown LRT intends to 'litigate and stop working with the TTC.'

Metrolinx says the consortium behind building the Eglinton Crosstown LRT intends to “litigate and stop working with the TTC.”

The transit company said in a statement that Crosslinx Transit Solutions (CTS) informed it of the move late Monday evening.

“This is another unacceptable delay tactic at a time when they should be submitting a credible schedule to Metrolinx for completing the project,” Metrolinx said.

Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster has blamed the ongoing delays on Crosslinx Transit Solutions, a consortium of companies that was awarded a mega contract for construction.

At a press conference in April, neither Metrolinx nor the Ontario government could provide a firm completion date for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which has been in construction for several years. CTS won the contract for the project in 2015 with an initial projected completion date of 2021.

“Metrolinx and the TTC have been working collaboratively for years to get the Eglinton Crosstown LRT ready for customer service, but now require a schedule that describes how they will complete the testing, commissioning, safety and quality rectifications of the rail line,” Metrolinx said in its statement.

Metrolinx had also suggested quality control issues with the construction have meant the opening date is falling further behind, including 260 quality issues with the project, such as track work issues identified in 2021 that are only being repaired in 2023.

The provincial transit agency said it will defend the latest legal challenge by CTS. It also said it has been withholding “significant payments for poor performance.”