Metrolinx Seeks Names for Yonge North Subway Extension TBMs

Metrolinx has launched a public competition to name two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) that will construct 6.3 kilometres of twin subway tunnels for the Yonge North Subway Extension in Ontario, Canada.

The competition, announced on 1 November 2026, invites members of the public to submit name suggestions for the machines ahead of the start of tunnelling. Submissions will remain open until 16 November 2026.

The two TBMs will begin their journey from a launch shaft in York Region towards Finch Station, extending Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Line 1 further north.

The Yonge North Subway Extension will add five stations to the existing Line 1 network at Steeles, Clark, Royal Orchard, Bridge and High Tech. The extension is intended to improve connections between Toronto and communities in York Region.

Following the submission period, a panel will select a shortlist of names, with the public then invited to vote for their preferred choices.

The competition follows previous Metrolinx naming initiatives for tunnel boring machines involved in other major transit projects. These include Rexy and Renny for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, Diggy Scardust for the Scarborough Subway Extension, and Libby and Corkie for the Ontario Line.

The two new machines will undertake the excavation of the twin tunnels required for the Yonge North Subway Extension.