The Eglinton Crosstown LRT is hobbling along toward an eventual opening, overdue, over budget, and overwhelmingly criticized by both the public and media for its high-profile blunders.

Metrolinx has a heck of a public relations hot potato on its plate as the masses grow weary of missed deadlines and gleaming stations sitting idle, and, to keep the hype alive, the transit agency has been reminding commuters what's in store when Crosstown finally enters service as the TTC's Line 5.

After embarking on a campaign producing flashy videos to show off the new stations that nobody is allowed to use yet, Metrolinx is now — somewhat ironically — boasting the reliable wait times of what has thus far been an entirely unreliable transit investment.

The Crosstown LRT will be the first TTC line built from the ground up with automatic train control, or ATC — a system now employed by the Line 1 subway after a lengthy and disruptive retrofit.

Metrolinx explains the Crosstown's ATC system in a recent blog post, boasting how the system will someday benefit the currently-impatient riders who just want the damn line to open already.

Automatic train control uses automation to safely and efficiently space trains apart, which translates (in theory) to more reliable wait times.

Because haven't we all been waiting for Line 5 long enough?

Compared to the obsolete manual signalling systems still used on the TTC's Line 2 Bloor-Danforth and Line 4 Sheppard, ATC allows for increased service frequency by safely allowing closer spacing between vehicles, faster trip times courtesy of autonomous train control in tunnels, and improved safety.

Light rail vehicles travelling the route will all be equipped with onboard controller technology which feeds real-time speed, braking distance, and other key data to a control centre. Trains on the route will pass over track markers known as norming points, allowing continuous monitoring of their position on the line.

Based on the constant stream of data flowing in from vehicles on the line, operators within the control centre can make split-second calls to authorize train movements, speed and braking.

However, the big question on everyone's minds remains that of when the line will open.

The line is currently in its testing and commissioning phase, which prepares the route for the start of revenue service through extensive testing of systems, including everything from the actual light rail vehicles to the station announcements that will inform riders of the next stop.

Despite all the progress and promises of fast wait times, Metrolinx has still neglected to share an updated opening timeline with the public as the project drags on.

A report from the Toronto Sun states that the line may sit on ice for another year, suggesting the Crosstown may not open until December 2024.