A Toronto runner has shown that the city’s newest $2.6 billion LRT transit line may not be living up to its “rapid” title.
Six years after construction began on Line 6 Finch West, the 11-kilometre light rail line finally opened this week, promising faster and more reliable service for the 200,000+ commuters along the city’s northern corridor. In an Instagram video, Toronto runner Mac Bauer demonstrated that he could easily cover the same route on foot faster than the train.
On Thursday afternoon, Bauer raced the LRT from Humber College, in the city’s northwest, to Finch West Station (a distance of 10.27 kilometres). Bauer, a sub-2:50 marathoner, said he completed the run in 46 minutes (elapsed) through ice and snow. The train, meanwhile, took an hour and four minutes. That’s 4:30 marathon pace.
Bauer told Canadian Running he had a friend riding the train to track its progress, and it was so far behind he ended up passing the train in front of it, which had a 12-minute head start. Another friend drove the same route to pick him up afterward; the car completed the trip in 37 minutes.
Bauer wasn’t the only one testing the province’s $2.6-billion project. A CBC Toronto reporter rode the full line east-to-west and back again, and found each direction took more than 47 minutes, which is still slower than the finishing times of 2,200 runners at the 2025 Toronto Sporting Life 10K.
The Finch West LRT is the city’s first new transit line in 23 years, with 18 stops along its mostly above-ground route. The TTC says projected travel times, based on testing, are about 46 minutes end-to-end.
Toronto’s newest Finch West LRT Line 6 route. Photo: Metrolinx
Bauer has built a following for racing various Toronto transit routes, particularly streetcar lines. He said the idea came from his own frustrations with the system. “Previously, they were such a fun form of transportation, but recently they no longer feel safe, and with the population growing and congestion getting worse, the speed and reliability are horrible,” Bauer said.
Despite its slow debut, TTC officials have said the LRT could get faster. There are discussions about implementing transit signal priority if delays continue, which would give trains the right of way at intersections.