Toronto is feeling a little more excited about the forthcoming Ontario Line subway now that a new video preview of it has dropped, even if its construction will mean a mess of construction and multi-year closures of key intersections.

The new release shows what features riders can look forward to when the 15-stop line finally debuts in 2031 — that is, if the work all goes according to plan — and people have picked up on one design element in particular that is bound to be a hit, seeing as many have been asking for it for years.

Video of new Ontario Line train features (including platform screen doors!)
by u/northernwaterchild in toronto

After so many injuries at track level in recent memory, including people being terrifyingly shoved onto the tracks, there has been a renewed push for the TTC to more seriously consider installing barrier doors at the platform's edge.

Places like Paris, Copenhagen and most cities in China already have the safety infrastructure, which is also employed on Toronto's UP Express and terminal link train at Pearson Airport.

While the TTC has toyed with the idea in the past, it wasn't until last year that the agency committed to adding the barriers in the network, confirming in June 2022 that the sliding gates would be coming to Bloor-Yonge station as part of more extensive renovations.

🧵Did you know the Ontario Line will bring a host of innovative technology to Toronto's transit network including platform edge doors? (1/3) #OntarioLine #NationalInjuryPreventionDay pic.twitter.com/qJnohHDG9f

— Ontario Line (@OntarioLine) July 5, 2023

Metrolinx has, quite prudently, ensured that the safety solution is a key part of the design of the new Ontario Line stations — and also, that the public knows that.

Unfortunately, for the doors to be extended throughout Toronto's public transit network, it would cost around $1.35 billion, so residents shouldn't get their hopes up too high for a more widespread rollout of the feature.

The REM in Montreal and the Ontario Line in Toronto are both great opportunities to reset what is expected from rapid transit in these cities - automated trains, platform screen doors, longer operating hours etc

— Reece 🚇 (@RM_Transit) July 13, 2023

As Ontario Line work gets underway, the city has vowed to learn from the mistakes of the still-unopened Eglinton Crosstown LRT and its endless delays, issuing a series of recommendations for Metrolinx to heed during construction.