Toronto streetcar system rolling stock
Encyclopedia
The rolling stock of the Toronto streetcar system includes hundreds of cars were acquired from the TTCs predecessor companies, the Toronto Railway, and Toronto Civic Railways
, among others. The current fleet operates with 248 vehicles.
when it was designed by a committee of public transport operators in the 1930s. These cars were bought to replace the Peter Witt
cars and also older vehicles inherited from the Toronto Railway. The TTC's first purchase was in the late 1930s, and by the end of the 1950s they had operated a larger fleet of PCCs than any other agency in the world, with 744 cars in service. The early cars were retired and sent to Egypt
, and some newer cars were acquired from U.S. operators abandoning streetcar service, including Kansas City
, Birmingham
, and Cleveland. By the 1960s, the TTC sought to abandon the service as well, but in 1972 supporters persuaded them to reconsider, and so a new streetcar model was needed to replace some of the ageing PCCs.
Two of the TTC’s PCC streetcars, which operated in regular service until they were rebuilt and repainted into historic livery in 1989, have been retained for special events such as parades, private charters and special revenue runs, such as holidays in the summer.
Most of the PCCs were scrapped with a few becoming restaurants, housing and other uses. A few cars were purchased by railway museums and five ex-Toronto cars continue to operate on a new streetcar line in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
When the TTC reversed their decision to eliminate streetcars in the 1970s, they were faced with the problem of how to replace their aging fleet of PCC streetcars given that most cities in North America were switching entirely to buses, and so there were no new mass-market streetcar designs already being built that Toronto could purchase as it had before. While Edmonton
and Calgary
chose to adapt German stadtbahn
(city rail) trains for the new systems they were installing around the same time, the TTC instead had a new streetcar designed in the traditional style, and so the two models of streetcars the TTC uses for revenue service today remain unique to the city. It was hoped that the new models could also be sold to the few other cities that continued streetcar service, such as Boston
and Philadelphia, but this strategy proved unsuccessful as the German designs became widely used for the new paradigm of light rail in North America
and other cities purchased cars similar to the CLRV built by other manufacturers for their traditional streetcar systems.
The CLRV (Canadian Light Rail Vehicle
, ordered 1977 – version L1 and L2) and the one-and-a-half-length ALRV (Articulated Light Rail Vehicle, ordered 1984 – version L3) were designed by the Urban Transportation Development Corporation
(UTDC), an Ontario Crown corporation. The first six cars were built by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
(Swiss Industrial Company, SIG) and the rest by Hawker Siddeley Canada Limited
in Thunder Bay
, with a propulsion system by Brush of England and bogie
s by MAN of Germany.
The CLRVs and ALRVs retain many features of traditional streetcar design: they collect their electric power by trolley pole
rather than the pantograph
more common on modern vehicles, and are unidirectional, with an operating position at only one end and doors on only one side, requiring track loops in order to turn around. Even the ALRVs, which have two body sections connected by an articulation, are shorter than some other modern vehicles, which may have as many as four articulations. This is because the TTC network is largely a "traditional" streetcar network dating back to the 19th century, and not a recent light rail system built to modern standards. The infrastructure already in place and the need for compatibility with a large fleet of existing vehicles meant the CLRVs and ALRVs were built to fit the existing system. The TTC has not had strong reason to upgrade the infrastructure, but the option to buy bidirectional and pantograph trains has been included for the next generation of European-style vehicles.
According to the TTC, one CLRV replaces 60 private cars in the morning rush period or 72 passengers, whereas one ALRV can carry the equivalent of 90 cars or 108 passengers.
Both models of streetcar have high floors accessed by stairs at each door. TTC staff have explored a number of possible means to make them wheelchair
-accessible, including constructing level boarding platforms, lowering the track level, installing wheelchair lifts, and attach wheelchair-accessible trailers, but have concluded that none of these options is practical.
Unlike the TTC's earlier PCC and Peter Witt
streetcars, the current models are never run in two-unit combinations or with trailers; the replacement of the two highest-volume routes with subway lines has decreased the number of passengers streetcars must cope with, and a single ALRV has been estimated to be long enough to provide sufficient capacity on today's busiest routes. Notably, the CLRVs originally came with couplers, but these were covered beginning in 1984 owing to safety concerns, and removed in 1988 as no longer required.
There have been a few technical additions to the CLRV/ALRV cars including a horn which were retrofitted from the former H-1 and M-1 subway fleet, a secondary warning device in addition to the gong, an automatic stop announcement system which was installed in 2008 and the security camera system in 2009, all of which have been installed on both the CLRVs and the ALRVs, the system also in use on TTC buses. The additional hardware is located behind the left rear seat of the both types of vehicles.
, and not purchase any new streetcars until the ALRVs reached obsolescence. On July 26, 2006, the first streetcar with air conditioning (number 4041) entered revenue service. With new funding from senior governments, however, they now intend to refurbish only one hundred CLRVs to meet Toronto's immediate requirements, and buy new low-floor, higher-capacity streetcars to replace the current fleet and run planned routes along the waterfront and in the inner suburbs. The remaining 96 streetcars will be rebuilt only if the introduction of new models is delayed.
In June 2007, the TTC launched a public consultation on the design of its new streetcars, including an online survey, and displays at Finch
and Scarborough Centre
stations, the Albion Centre, and Yonge-Dundas Square. Mock-ups of the Bombardier Flexity Swift
(as used in Minneapolis
) and Siemens Combino Plus
were on display at the 2007 Canadian National Exhibition
in front of the Direct Energy Centre.
On September 19, 2007, the TTC published their specifications for the ‘LF LRV’, as they are calling the proposed new streetcars, which explains what they are seeking beyond that the vehicle be compatible with the TTC’s existing tracks, which require tight turning radii, good hill-climbing ability, and compatibility with single-leaf switches. The tender requests a tram/streetcar of 27–30 m, with multiple points of articulation, and three powered bogies.
Though the document states that the TTC would accept a well-designed 70% low-floor streetcar, they have since decided to seek a 100% low-floor design; folding ramps may be fitted at the doors to allow stepless boarding where platforms are not available. The initial fleet replacing the CLRVs and ALRVs are to remain single-ended with doors on the right only, and to retain current collection by trolley pole
, but the TTC also request that provision be made for future conversion to pantograph
, and that the option of buying a bi-directional version of the streetcar for new lines
be available. Provision will be made for ticket-vending machines on board, rather than have the driver take fares as is current practice.
The TTC are tendering for an initial order of 204 Flexity Outlook Cityrunner streetcars, with the first prototypes to be delivered in 2010. Current projections for population increases and new lines indicate that by 2026, the TTC will need to extend its fleet to between 350 and 480 streetcars, suggesting that the replacements for the CLRVs and ALRVs will be merely the first of a large fleet.
Bombardier
, Siemens
, AnsaldoBreda, Mytram, Škoda
, and Vossloh Kiepe
, and Kinki Sharyo
all expressed interest in competing to supply the new streetcars, but most dropped out of the bidding at various stages. Siemens gained a great deal of attention for their Combino Plus
in 2007, with newspaper advertisements and a web site, but eventually decided that ‘it was in our better interest not to bid’; ultimately, only Bombardier and TRAM Power submitted bids.
Bombardier initially displayed a mock-up of the Flexity Swift
originally built for the Minneapolis project, but later offered a variant of the Flexity Outlook
to meet the 100% low-floor requirement, promoting it with a web site called ‘The Streetcar Redefined’. TRAM Power's product is the Citytram
, a prototype of which was being tested on the Blackpool tramway
until it caught fire on January 24, 2007.
On July 18, 2008, the TTC announced that both bids had been rejected — according to TTC chair Adam Giambrone, Bombardier's entry "would have derailed on Toronto streets", while TRAM Power's was not "commercially compliant" — and reopened the contract. Bombardier actively disputed this claim, adding that it could either supply a compliant car or pay for $10.4 million of construction to make the TTC's track network compliant. The TTC entered into direct negotiations with three companies (Alstom, Siemens, and Bombardier) following its August 27, 2008, commission meeting.
On April 24, 2009, the TTC selected a customized version of the Flexity Outlook for the upgrade, with possible use for the Transit City
plan as well.
New streetcars will not appear in Toronto until at least 2010, providing that capital funding is secured. In its most recent capital budget on April 2009, there was no solid commitment to fund the purchase of new units from any level of government. As a result, the TTC is facing a shortage of available streetcars. Because the CLRVs are reaching the end of their usable lifespan, they require more frequent repairs, and of the TTC's 248 streetcars, only 186 are available for service, leaving a deficit of almost 10 vehicles in the morning rush hour. The TTC plans to refurbish 132 CLRVs, and perform scheduled mid-life maintenance on all of its ALRVs, however in the meantime the TTC has considered replacing streetcars on Bathurst Street and Kingston Road (routes 502, 503, and 511) with buses during the morning rush hour on a contingency basis, so that they can increase service on busier routes until new vehicles arrive.
The City of Toronto has committed one third of the necessary funds, according to the usual funding formula for capital projects, ⅓ municipal, ⅓ provincial and ⅓ federal. Federal transport minister
John Baird
was quoted in private telling the city that they could f*** off , though later apologized while explaining that the Toronto request did not meet the timeline required for funds disbursed under the Canadian government's economic stimulus program. While these words were later recanted, the federal government was unwilling to provide any money before the June 27, 2009 deadline approached to finalize the contract with Bombardier. Finally, Toronto City Council voted on June 26, 2009 to commit the other ⅓ of the funding by deferring other capital projects, such that the funding formula became ⅔ municipal and ⅓ provincial.
Work cars
Toronto Civic Railways
Toronto Civic Railways was an agency created and owned by the City of Toronto, Canada, to run streetcars in newly annexed areas of the city that the private operator Toronto Railway Company refused to serve...
, among others. The current fleet operates with 248 vehicles.
Built from 1915-present
| Make/Model | Description | Fleet size | Year acquired | Year retired | Notes |
| Preston Car Company Preston Car Company The Preston Car Company was a Canadian manufacturer of streetcars and other railway equipment, founded in 1908. The company was located in the town of Preston, Ontario... (ex TCR Toronto Civic Railways Toronto Civic Railways was an agency created and owned by the City of Toronto, Canada, to run streetcars in newly annexed areas of the city that the private operator Toronto Railway Company refused to serve... ) |
streetcar DE-ST | 8 | 1915–1917 | 1976 | Numbered 2200-2214 (even numbers only). Formerly ex-TCR 50-57. 52(Currently RT-7), 55, 57 (Currently W-28) at Halton County Radial Railway Halton County Radial Railway The Halton County Radial Railway is a working museum of electric streetcars, other railway vehicles, trolleybusses and buses. It is operated by the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association... |
| Preston Car Company Preston Car Company The Preston Car Company was a Canadian manufacturer of streetcars and other railway equipment, founded in 1908. The company was located in the town of Preston, Ontario... (ex TCR Toronto Civic Railways Toronto Civic Railways was an agency created and owned by the City of Toronto, Canada, to run streetcars in newly annexed areas of the city that the private operator Toronto Railway Company refused to serve... ) |
streetcar DE-DT | 4 | 1912 | 1933, last car retired 1950 | Numbered 2120-2126 (even numbers only). Formerly ex-TCR 120-123. |
| Niles Car and Manufacturing Company Niles Car and Manufacturing Company The Niles Car and Manufacturing Company was a United States manufacturer of railroad equipment, including many streetcar and interurban cars. It was founded in 1901 in Niles, Ohio, and ceased producing railroad cars in 1917; the plant and equipment were purchased by the Engel Aircraft Company to... (ex TCR Toronto Civic Railways Toronto Civic Railways was an agency created and owned by the City of Toronto, Canada, to run streetcars in newly annexed areas of the city that the private operator Toronto Railway Company refused to serve... ) |
streetcar DE-DT | 19 | 1913 | 4 Retired in 1933, rest retired in 1948 | Numbered 2128-2144 2148-2166 (even numbers only). Formerly ex-TCR 110-119. Car 109 (2146) burnt in fire and never rebuilt. |
| Preston Car Company Preston Car Company The Preston Car Company was a Canadian manufacturer of streetcars and other railway equipment, founded in 1908. The company was located in the town of Preston, Ontario... (ex TCR Toronto Civic Railways Toronto Civic Railways was an agency created and owned by the City of Toronto, Canada, to run streetcars in newly annexed areas of the city that the private operator Toronto Railway Company refused to serve... ) |
streetcar DE-DT | 13 | 1918 | 1948 | Numbered 2168-2192 (even numbers only). Formerly ex-TCR 200-212. |
| Birney Car Birney A Birney or Birney Safety Car is a type of streetcar that was manufactured in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s. The design was small and light and was intended to be an economical means of providing frequent service at a lower infrastructure and labor cost than conventional streetcars... - ex Toronto Civic Railways Toronto Civic Railways Toronto Civic Railways was an agency created and owned by the City of Toronto, Canada, to run streetcars in newly annexed areas of the city that the private operator Toronto Railway Company refused to serve... / J. G. Brill and Company |
street car DE-ST | 20 | 1920 | 1940–1941 | ex TCR 60-84. Sold as operating cars to Cornwall and Halifax. |
| Peter Witt - Large Peter Witt streetcar Peter Witt was a Cleveland Railway commissioner, who designed a model of streetcar known by his name, and used in many North American cities, most notably in Toronto and Cleveland.-Features:... / Canadian Car and Foundry Canadian Car and Foundry Canadian Car and Foundry also variously known as "Canadian Car & Foundry," or more familiarly as "Can Car," manufactured buses, railroad rolling stock and later aircraft for the Canadian market... and J. G. Brill and Company |
street car; could pull trailer | 525 | 1921–1923 | 1961 | Numbered 2300-2678, 2900-3018 (even numbers only) 2580-2678 were Brill-type. Car 2424 and 2984 are at Halton County Radial Railway Halton County Radial Railway The Halton County Radial Railway is a working museum of electric streetcars, other railway vehicles, trolleybusses and buses. It is operated by the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association... museum. 2300 is owned by the Canadian Railroad Historical Association and is currently at the Canadian National Railway Museum in St. Constance, Quebec. The entire TTC streetcar system was designed to accommodate cars of this size. |
| Peter Witt - Small Peter Witt streetcar Peter Witt was a Cleveland Railway commissioner, who designed a model of streetcar known by his name, and used in many North American cities, most notably in Toronto and Cleveland.-Features:... / Canada Car and Foundry /Ottawa Car Company Ottawa Car Company Ottawa Car Company was a builder of streetcars for the Canadian market and was founded in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1891. The plant was located at Kent and Slater Streets, a short distance from Parliament Hill... |
street car | 50 | 1923 | 1963 | Numbered 2700 - 2898 (even numbers only). Car 2898 preserved at Shore Line Trolley Museum, East Haven, Connecticut. Car 2766 retained by TTC for tour service. 2 cars (2894 and 2786) are at Halton Radial Railway in Milton, Ontario. |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... / Canada Car and Foundry President's Conference Car PCC streetcar The PCC streetcar design was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II was licensed for use elsewhere in the world... Air Electric cars class A1-A5 |
street car | 300 | 1938 | 1972 | 1 car (4000) at Halton County Radial Railway Halton County Radial Railway The Halton County Radial Railway is a working museum of electric streetcars, other railway vehicles, trolleybusses and buses. It is operated by the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association... in Milton, Ontario. |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... /Pullman Standard Pullman Company The Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s... President's Conference Car PCC streetcar The PCC streetcar design was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II was licensed for use elsewhere in the world... |
street car | 445 | 1947 and on | 1995 | New cars were A6-8; 205 acquired as second hand units were A9-10 - Cincinnati Street Railway Cincinnati Street Railway Cincinnati Street Railway was the public transit operator in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1859 to 1952. The company ceased streetcar operations and was renamed Cincinnati Transit Commission.The company was founded in 1859 and was one of several operators... , A11 - Cleveland Railway, A12 - Louisville Railway, A13 - Birmingham Railway and Electric Company Birmingham Railway and Electric Company The Birmingham Railway and Electric Company was both a street car and electricity provider in Birmingham, Alabama.Created in 1890 after the consolidation of several street railway operators, including the Birmingham Street Railway:... , A14 - ex-Kansas City Public Service Company Kansas City Public Service Company The Kansas City Public Service Company was a public transit operator in Kansas City, Missouri in the 1940s.Streetcar operations in Kansas City began as horsecar operations in 1869 and electricification after the 1880s.... ; A15 were A8 rebuilds 2 St. Louis Car Company PCC streetcar A-8 (used only for private charters and parades; 4500 and 4549); Pullman-Standard W30-W31 Rail Grinder - ex-A-11 class PCC streetcars, St. Louis Car 4386 (A-6), 4434 (A-7), 4684 (A-12) 4600/11/18 (A-15) at Halton County Radial Railway Halton County Radial Railway The Halton County Radial Railway is a working museum of electric streetcars, other railway vehicles, trolleybusses and buses. It is operated by the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association... in Milton, Ontario. |
| SIG Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft , or SIG, is the former name of SIG Holding AG, a Swiss company that has been active in various businesses during its more than 150 years of operation. Since the year 2000 the Society has undergone strategic refocus, concentrating on its core compentence in... CLRV Canadian Light Rail Vehicle The Canadian Light Rail Vehicle ' is a type of streetcar that is used by the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Canada.-Background:... L1 |
street car | 6 | 1977 | Designed by Urban Transportation Development Corporation Urban Transportation Development Corporation The Urban Transportation Development Corporation, or UTDC as it was commonly known, was an Ontario, Canada, Crown corporation created in the 1970s as a way to enter what was then expected to be a burgeoning market in advanced light rail mass transit systems... , built in Switzerland. These 6 streetcars were the prototypes for the CLRV. There were originally supposed to be 10 numbered 4000–4009 but they were reduced to 6. |
|
| Urban Transportation Development Corporation Urban Transportation Development Corporation The Urban Transportation Development Corporation, or UTDC as it was commonly known, was an Ontario, Canada, Crown corporation created in the 1970s as a way to enter what was then expected to be a burgeoning market in advanced light rail mass transit systems... CLRV Canadian Light Rail Vehicle The Canadian Light Rail Vehicle ' is a type of streetcar that is used by the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Canada.-Background:... L2 |
street car | 190 | 1977–1981 | Designed by Urban Transportation Development Corporation Urban Transportation Development Corporation The Urban Transportation Development Corporation, or UTDC as it was commonly known, was an Ontario, Canada, Crown corporation created in the 1970s as a way to enter what was then expected to be a burgeoning market in advanced light rail mass transit systems... and manufactured by Hawker Siddeley Canada Hawker Siddeley Canada Hawker Siddeley Canada was the Canadian unit of the Hawker Siddeley Group of the United Kingdom and manufactured railcars, subway cars, streetcars, aircraft engines and ships from the 1960s to 1980s.-History:... ; air conditioning Air conditioning An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle... added to car #4041 in 2006, order was placed for 99 other cars to have air conditioning installed but was cancelled due to the confirmed new streetcar order. Cars #4030 and #4165 had an automated stop announcer tested in 2006 (mainly in use on the 511 line only). Now all streetcars have the automated announcer. |
|
| Urban Transportation Development Corporation Urban Transportation Development Corporation The Urban Transportation Development Corporation, or UTDC as it was commonly known, was an Ontario, Canada, Crown corporation created in the 1970s as a way to enter what was then expected to be a burgeoning market in advanced light rail mass transit systems... ALRV L3 |
articulated street car | 52 | 1987–1988 | Designed by Urban Transportation Development Corporation Urban Transportation Development Corporation The Urban Transportation Development Corporation, or UTDC as it was commonly known, was an Ontario, Canada, Crown corporation created in the 1970s as a way to enter what was then expected to be a burgeoning market in advanced light rail mass transit systems... and manufactured by Hawker Siddeley Canada Hawker Siddeley Canada Hawker Siddeley Canada was the Canadian unit of the Hawker Siddeley Group of the United Kingdom and manufactured railcars, subway cars, streetcars, aircraft engines and ships from the 1960s to 1980s.-History:... . Demo car 4900 owned by UTDC and destroyed at test facility in Kingston, Ontario. Used mainly on 501 Queen and 511 Bathurst routes. |
PCC streetcars
The TTC were among the first to buy the then state-of-the-art PCC streetcarPCC streetcar
The PCC streetcar design was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II was licensed for use elsewhere in the world...
when it was designed by a committee of public transport operators in the 1930s. These cars were bought to replace the Peter Witt
Peter Witt streetcar
Peter Witt was a Cleveland Railway commissioner, who designed a model of streetcar known by his name, and used in many North American cities, most notably in Toronto and Cleveland.-Features:...
cars and also older vehicles inherited from the Toronto Railway. The TTC's first purchase was in the late 1930s, and by the end of the 1950s they had operated a larger fleet of PCCs than any other agency in the world, with 744 cars in service. The early cars were retired and sent to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, and some newer cars were acquired from U.S. operators abandoning streetcar service, including Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, and Cleveland. By the 1960s, the TTC sought to abandon the service as well, but in 1972 supporters persuaded them to reconsider, and so a new streetcar model was needed to replace some of the ageing PCCs.
Two of the TTC’s PCC streetcars, which operated in regular service until they were rebuilt and repainted into historic livery in 1989, have been retained for special events such as parades, private charters and special revenue runs, such as holidays in the summer.
Most of the PCCs were scrapped with a few becoming restaurants, housing and other uses. A few cars were purchased by railway museums and five ex-Toronto cars continue to operate on a new streetcar line in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The CLRVs and ALRVs
Edmonton Transit System
The Edmonton Transit System, also called ETS, is the public transit service owned and operated by the city of Edmonton, Alberta. It operates Edmonton's bus and light rail systems.-Service:...
and Calgary
C-Train
C-Train is the light rail transit system in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has been in operation since May 25, 1981. The system is operated by Calgary Transit, a department of the Calgary municipal government.-Operations:...
chose to adapt German stadtbahn
Stadtbahn
A ' is a tramway or light railway that includes segments built to rapid transit standards, usually as part of a process of conversion to a metro railway, mainly by the building of tunnels in the central city area....
(city rail) trains for the new systems they were installing around the same time, the TTC instead had a new streetcar designed in the traditional style, and so the two models of streetcars the TTC uses for revenue service today remain unique to the city. It was hoped that the new models could also be sold to the few other cities that continued streetcar service, such as Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Philadelphia, but this strategy proved unsuccessful as the German designs became widely used for the new paradigm of light rail in North America
Light rail in North America
Light rail is a commonly used mode of rapid transit in North America. The term light rail was coined in 1972 by the U.S. Urban Mass Transportation Administration to describe new streetcar transformations which were taking place in Europe and the United States...
and other cities purchased cars similar to the CLRV built by other manufacturers for their traditional streetcar systems.
The CLRV (Canadian Light Rail Vehicle
Canadian Light Rail Vehicle
The Canadian Light Rail Vehicle ' is a type of streetcar that is used by the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Canada.-Background:...
, ordered 1977 – version L1 and L2) and the one-and-a-half-length ALRV (Articulated Light Rail Vehicle, ordered 1984 – version L3) were designed by the Urban Transportation Development Corporation
Urban Transportation Development Corporation
The Urban Transportation Development Corporation, or UTDC as it was commonly known, was an Ontario, Canada, Crown corporation created in the 1970s as a way to enter what was then expected to be a burgeoning market in advanced light rail mass transit systems...
(UTDC), an Ontario Crown corporation. The first six cars were built by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft , or SIG, is the former name of SIG Holding AG, a Swiss company that has been active in various businesses during its more than 150 years of operation. Since the year 2000 the Society has undergone strategic refocus, concentrating on its core compentence in...
(Swiss Industrial Company, SIG) and the rest by Hawker Siddeley Canada Limited
Hawker Siddeley Canada
Hawker Siddeley Canada was the Canadian unit of the Hawker Siddeley Group of the United Kingdom and manufactured railcars, subway cars, streetcars, aircraft engines and ships from the 1960s to 1980s.-History:...
in Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, with a propulsion system by Brush of England and bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s by MAN of Germany.
The CLRVs and ALRVs retain many features of traditional streetcar design: they collect their electric power by trolley pole
Trolley pole
A trolley pole is a tapered cylindrical pole of wood or metal, used to transfer electricity from a "live" overhead wire to the control and propulsion equipment of a tram or trolley bus. The use of overhead wire in a system of current collection is reputed to be the 1880 invention of Frank J....
rather than the pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
more common on modern vehicles, and are unidirectional, with an operating position at only one end and doors on only one side, requiring track loops in order to turn around. Even the ALRVs, which have two body sections connected by an articulation, are shorter than some other modern vehicles, which may have as many as four articulations. This is because the TTC network is largely a "traditional" streetcar network dating back to the 19th century, and not a recent light rail system built to modern standards. The infrastructure already in place and the need for compatibility with a large fleet of existing vehicles meant the CLRVs and ALRVs were built to fit the existing system. The TTC has not had strong reason to upgrade the infrastructure, but the option to buy bidirectional and pantograph trains has been included for the next generation of European-style vehicles.
According to the TTC, one CLRV replaces 60 private cars in the morning rush period or 72 passengers, whereas one ALRV can carry the equivalent of 90 cars or 108 passengers.
Both models of streetcar have high floors accessed by stairs at each door. TTC staff have explored a number of possible means to make them wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
-accessible, including constructing level boarding platforms, lowering the track level, installing wheelchair lifts, and attach wheelchair-accessible trailers, but have concluded that none of these options is practical.
Unlike the TTC's earlier PCC and Peter Witt
Peter Witt streetcar
Peter Witt was a Cleveland Railway commissioner, who designed a model of streetcar known by his name, and used in many North American cities, most notably in Toronto and Cleveland.-Features:...
streetcars, the current models are never run in two-unit combinations or with trailers; the replacement of the two highest-volume routes with subway lines has decreased the number of passengers streetcars must cope with, and a single ALRV has been estimated to be long enough to provide sufficient capacity on today's busiest routes. Notably, the CLRVs originally came with couplers, but these were covered beginning in 1984 owing to safety concerns, and removed in 1988 as no longer required.
There have been a few technical additions to the CLRV/ALRV cars including a horn which were retrofitted from the former H-1 and M-1 subway fleet, a secondary warning device in addition to the gong, an automatic stop announcement system which was installed in 2008 and the security camera system in 2009, all of which have been installed on both the CLRVs and the ALRVs, the system also in use on TTC buses. The additional hardware is located behind the left rear seat of the both types of vehicles.
Future vehicles
As the original CLRVs reach the end of their thirty-year service life, the TTC must soon either rebuild or replace them. Until recently, their official plan was to rebuild the CLRVs to extend their useful life by about ten to fifteen years and add new features such as air conditioningAir conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
, and not purchase any new streetcars until the ALRVs reached obsolescence. On July 26, 2006, the first streetcar with air conditioning (number 4041) entered revenue service. With new funding from senior governments, however, they now intend to refurbish only one hundred CLRVs to meet Toronto's immediate requirements, and buy new low-floor, higher-capacity streetcars to replace the current fleet and run planned routes along the waterfront and in the inner suburbs. The remaining 96 streetcars will be rebuilt only if the introduction of new models is delayed.
In June 2007, the TTC launched a public consultation on the design of its new streetcars, including an online survey, and displays at Finch
Finch (TTC)
Finch is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 5714 Yonge Street between Finch Avenue East and West...
and Scarborough Centre
Scarborough Centre (TTC)
Scarborough Centre is a station on the Scarborough RT line of the Toronto subway and RT. It is located north of Ellesmere Road between Brimley and McCowan Roads, just south of Highway 401...
stations, the Albion Centre, and Yonge-Dundas Square. Mock-ups of the Bombardier Flexity Swift
Flexity Swift
The Flexity Swift tram is a family of urban and inter-urban light-rail vehicles manufactured by Bombardier Transportation for a wide number of customers across Europe...
(as used in Minneapolis
Hiawatha Line
The Hiawatha Line is a light rail corridor in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from downtown Minneapolis to the southern suburb of Bloomington. It was formerly known as the Hiawatha Line named after Hiawatha Avenue. Major connections on the line include the Minneapolis-St...
) and Siemens Combino Plus
Combino Supra
The Combino Supra , Combino MkII, or Combino Plus is a new Combino model made of stainless steel instead of light materials, and manufactured at a new assembly line in Vienna.-Design differences with original Combino:...
were on display at the 2007 Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition , also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day Monday. With an attendance of approximately 1.3 million visitors each season, it is Canada’s largest...
in front of the Direct Energy Centre.
On September 19, 2007, the TTC published their specifications for the ‘LF LRV’, as they are calling the proposed new streetcars, which explains what they are seeking beyond that the vehicle be compatible with the TTC’s existing tracks, which require tight turning radii, good hill-climbing ability, and compatibility with single-leaf switches. The tender requests a tram/streetcar of 27–30 m, with multiple points of articulation, and three powered bogies.
Though the document states that the TTC would accept a well-designed 70% low-floor streetcar, they have since decided to seek a 100% low-floor design; folding ramps may be fitted at the doors to allow stepless boarding where platforms are not available. The initial fleet replacing the CLRVs and ALRVs are to remain single-ended with doors on the right only, and to retain current collection by trolley pole
Trolley pole
A trolley pole is a tapered cylindrical pole of wood or metal, used to transfer electricity from a "live" overhead wire to the control and propulsion equipment of a tram or trolley bus. The use of overhead wire in a system of current collection is reputed to be the 1880 invention of Frank J....
, but the TTC also request that provision be made for future conversion to pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
, and that the option of buying a bi-directional version of the streetcar for new lines
Transit City
Transit City was a plan for developing public transport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was first proposed and announced by then-Toronto Mayor David Miller and Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission Adam Giambrone on March 16, 2007...
be available. Provision will be made for ticket-vending machines on board, rather than have the driver take fares as is current practice.
The TTC are tendering for an initial order of 204 Flexity Outlook Cityrunner streetcars, with the first prototypes to be delivered in 2010. Current projections for population increases and new lines indicate that by 2026, the TTC will need to extend its fleet to between 350 and 480 streetcars, suggesting that the replacements for the CLRVs and ALRVs will be merely the first of a large fleet.
Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
, Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, AnsaldoBreda, Mytram, Škoda
Škoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
, and Vossloh Kiepe
Vossloh Kiepe
Vossloh Kiepe is a German manufacturer of electrical traction equipment for trams, trolleybuses and other transport vehicles, as well as air-conditioning and heating systems, and conveyor device components.-History:...
, and Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...
all expressed interest in competing to supply the new streetcars, but most dropped out of the bidding at various stages. Siemens gained a great deal of attention for their Combino Plus
Combino Supra
The Combino Supra , Combino MkII, or Combino Plus is a new Combino model made of stainless steel instead of light materials, and manufactured at a new assembly line in Vienna.-Design differences with original Combino:...
in 2007, with newspaper advertisements and a web site, but eventually decided that ‘it was in our better interest not to bid’; ultimately, only Bombardier and TRAM Power submitted bids.
Bombardier initially displayed a mock-up of the Flexity Swift
Flexity Swift
The Flexity Swift tram is a family of urban and inter-urban light-rail vehicles manufactured by Bombardier Transportation for a wide number of customers across Europe...
originally built for the Minneapolis project, but later offered a variant of the Flexity Outlook
Flexity Outlook
The Flexity Outlook is a family of 100% low-floor articulated light-rail trams manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. Part of the larger Flexity product line , Flexity Outlook cars fall into two distinct sub-categories with dramatically different appearances...
to meet the 100% low-floor requirement, promoting it with a web site called ‘The Streetcar Redefined’. TRAM Power's product is the Citytram
Citytram
The Tram Power City Class Light Rail Vehicle is a prototype two car articulated electric tram previously tested on the Blackpool Tramway It operates off a power supply between 550V and 800V DC...
, a prototype of which was being tested on the Blackpool tramway
Blackpool tramway
The Blackpool tramway runs from Blackpool to Fleetwood on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, England, and is the only surviving first-generation tramway in the United Kingdom. The tramway dates back to 1885 and is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. It is run by Blackpool Transport as...
until it caught fire on January 24, 2007.
On July 18, 2008, the TTC announced that both bids had been rejected — according to TTC chair Adam Giambrone, Bombardier's entry "would have derailed on Toronto streets", while TRAM Power's was not "commercially compliant" — and reopened the contract. Bombardier actively disputed this claim, adding that it could either supply a compliant car or pay for $10.4 million of construction to make the TTC's track network compliant. The TTC entered into direct negotiations with three companies (Alstom, Siemens, and Bombardier) following its August 27, 2008, commission meeting.
On April 24, 2009, the TTC selected a customized version of the Flexity Outlook for the upgrade, with possible use for the Transit City
Transit City
Transit City was a plan for developing public transport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was first proposed and announced by then-Toronto Mayor David Miller and Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission Adam Giambrone on March 16, 2007...
plan as well.
New streetcars will not appear in Toronto until at least 2010, providing that capital funding is secured. In its most recent capital budget on April 2009, there was no solid commitment to fund the purchase of new units from any level of government. As a result, the TTC is facing a shortage of available streetcars. Because the CLRVs are reaching the end of their usable lifespan, they require more frequent repairs, and of the TTC's 248 streetcars, only 186 are available for service, leaving a deficit of almost 10 vehicles in the morning rush hour. The TTC plans to refurbish 132 CLRVs, and perform scheduled mid-life maintenance on all of its ALRVs, however in the meantime the TTC has considered replacing streetcars on Bathurst Street and Kingston Road (routes 502, 503, and 511) with buses during the morning rush hour on a contingency basis, so that they can increase service on busier routes until new vehicles arrive.
The City of Toronto has committed one third of the necessary funds, according to the usual funding formula for capital projects, ⅓ municipal, ⅓ provincial and ⅓ federal. Federal transport minister
Minister of Transport (Canada)
The Minister of Transport is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's transportation regulatory and development department, Transport Canada...
John Baird
John Baird (Canadian politician)
John Russell Baird, PC, MP is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper....
was quoted in private telling the city that they could f*** off , though later apologized while explaining that the Toronto request did not meet the timeline required for funds disbursed under the Canadian government's economic stimulus program. While these words were later recanted, the federal government was unwilling to provide any money before the June 27, 2009 deadline approached to finalize the contract with Bombardier. Finally, Toronto City Council voted on June 26, 2009 to commit the other ⅓ of the funding by deferring other capital projects, such that the funding formula became ⅔ municipal and ⅓ provincial.
List of past vehicles
Traffic cars| Make/Model | Description | # of vehicles | Year acquired | Year retired | Notes |
| Canadian Car and Foundry Canadian Car and Foundry Canadian Car and Foundry also variously known as "Canadian Car & Foundry," or more familiarly as "Can Car," manufactured buses, railroad rolling stock and later aircraft for the Canadian market... /Brill Peter Witt streetcar Peter Witt streetcar Peter Witt was a Cleveland Railway commissioner, who designed a model of streetcar known by his name, and used in many North American cities, most notably in Toronto and Cleveland.-Features:... – Large with trailers |
streetcars | 392 | 1921–1923 | 1963 | retired |
| Canadian Car and Foundry/Ottawa Car Company Ottawa Car Company Ottawa Car Company was a builder of streetcars for the Canadian market and was founded in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1891. The plant was located at Kent and Slater Streets, a short distance from Parliament Hill... Peter Witts – Small Witts |
streetcars | 196 | 1921–1923 | 1965 | retired; 1 refurbished for tours |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... and Canadian Car and Foundry Canadian Car and Foundry Canadian Car and Foundry also variously known as "Canadian Car & Foundry," or more familiarly as "Can Car," manufactured buses, railroad rolling stock and later aircraft for the Canadian market... PCC streetcars |
streetcars | total of 745 with 205 second-hand and 540 brand-new; some PCCs became work cars for the streetcar service and some to the subway | 1938 | 1996 | retired; 2 refurbished for tours |
Work cars
| Make/Model | Description | Fleet size; | Year acquired | Year retired | Notes |
| Birney Birney A Birney or Birney Safety Car is a type of streetcar that was manufactured in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s. The design was small and light and was intended to be an economical means of providing frequent service at a lower infrastructure and labor cost than conventional streetcars... Car – ex-Toronto Railway (retired) |
rail grinder | 1 | 1931 | 1976 | retired |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... W30-W31 |
rail grinder | 2 | 1976 | 1999 | ex-PCC streetcar - retired. Now at the Halton County Radial Railway Halton County Radial Railway The Halton County Radial Railway is a working museum of electric streetcars, other railway vehicles, trolleybusses and buses. It is operated by the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association... . W30 still operational, W31 has driving motors removed. |
| St. Louis Car Company W28 | rail grinder | 1 | 1931 | 1976 | ex-TRC Preston car - retired |
| Toronto Railway C1 | crane | 1 | 1921 | ? | sold to Halton Radial Railway |
| W5 | snow plow | 1 | ? | ? | ? |
| W16 | dump car | 1 | 1920s | ? | |
| W26 | sand car | 1 | 1950 | 1967 | |
| S-30 | snow sweeper | 1 | 1947 | 1970 | New York City's Third Avenue Railway System |
| Russell Car Company / S-31 | snow sweeper | 1 | 1947 | 1973 | Built in 1920 as Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway P-601; to Third Avenue Railway System as 86 in 1935; to TTC as S-31 in 1947; preserved at Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport, Maine |
| S-33 | snow sweeper | 1 | 1947 | 1960s | New York City's Third Avenue Railway System |
| Russell Car Company / S-36 | snow sweeper | 1 | 1947 | 1973 | Built in 1920 as Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway P-607; to Third Avenue Railway System as 89 in 1935; to TTC as S-36 in 1947; preserved at Shore Line Trolley Museum, East Haven, Connecticut |
| Russell Car Company / S-37 | snow sweeper | 1 | 1948 | 1973 | Built in 1920 for the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway; to Third Avenue Railway System 1935; to TTC as S-37 in 1947; preserved at Halton County Railway Museum |
| Russell Car Company / S-39 | snow sweeper | 1 | 1948 | 1973 | Built in 1920 as Trenton & Mercer County 31; to Third Avenue Railway System as 82 in 1935; to TTC as S-39 in 1948; to Public Service of New Jersey as 5246 in 1973; now at Transport of New Jersey in Newark as 5246, semiactive in stub tracks at Newark terminal |