The Ontario government has released the first renderings of the new stations planned for the Yonge North Subway Extension — a major transit project that will connect Toronto’s subway system to Vaughan, Markham, and Richmond Hill.
Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency, shared four design images showcasing the future look of the stations, which will extend the TTC’s Line 1 from Finch Station north to Richmond Hill Centre. The project will cover roughly eight kilometres and include five new stations: Steeles (Toronto–York border), Clark (Thornhill), Royal Orchard (Thornhill), Bridge (Richmond Hill), and High Tech (Markham/Richmond Hill).
“Excited to give this first look of the new station designs for the Yonge North Subway Extension!” Brampton MPP and Transport Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria wrote on X.
The extension will include a 6.3-kilometre tunnel and a northern above-ground segment along an existing rail corridor. Once complete, it will integrate with GO Transit, local bus services, and future rapid transit lines, with the Steeles Station hub expected to serve as a key connector for Toronto and York Region routes.
Metrolinx has issued a request for qualifications to vendors to design, build, and install the stations and supporting infrastructure, including tracks, signals, emergency exit buildings, and a train storage facility. Finch Station will also be modified to link the extension to the existing Line 1 subway.
Three of the five stations — Steeles, Clark, and Royal Orchard — will be underground, while Bridge and High Tech stations will be built at ground level. The station designs emphasize modern, efficient layouts with wide concourses, escalators, elevators, and seamless links to bus, rail, cycling, and pedestrian routes.
Once operational, the extension is expected to accommodate more than 90,000 daily trips, bring 26,000 more residents within a 10-minute walk of transit, and reduce travel times between Markham and downtown Toronto by up to 22 minutes. The project is also expected to cut personal vehicle travel by 7,700 kilometres during rush hour and lower greenhouse gas emissions by more than 4,800 tonnes annually.
The construction will create approximately 4,300 jobs and generate an estimated $3.6 billion in total economic benefits. The federal government is contributing $2.2 billion toward the project, which is part of Ontario’s $70 billion transit expansion plan for the Greater Toronto Area. That plan also includes the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension, and the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.