Winning names for the two Eglinton Crosstown West TBMs have been revealed

After thousands of votes from the community, the winning names have been decided for the two machines that will build the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension’s twin tunnels.

The winning names are Rexy and Renny.  In October 2021, Metrolinx launched the naming contest to crowdsource the names of the earth-digging superstars that will build the tunnels for this major subway project in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Metrolinx received hundreds of submissions for names from the community and shortlists of names were published for people to vote on.

Not only does the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension have two TBMs, it also has two winners for its TBM naming contest: Steven Sansano, who submitted the names Rexy and Renny as a pair, and Ryan Bignell, who also submitted the name Renny. These names are a tribute to Renforth Station (Renny) in Mississauga and the Rexdale neighbourhood (Rexy) in northwest Toronto that is adjacent to the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.

Sansano’s submission was inspired by the connection between transit and the community. “Public transit is very important to a community because it makes that community more accessible to the entire population and brings people closer together,” said Sansano, explaining why he submitted the name Rexy.

“Renny is for Renforth Station, which is an important hub connecting Mississauga Transit, GO Transit, and TTC all in one location.”

Rexy and Renny have been making their way to their respective launch shafts after arriving in Canada last month. Assembly has started for the machines and will continue over the next few months.

Depending on site conditions and public health guidelines in the spring, the winners will be invited to take a photo with these machines before they are lowered into the ground.