The TTC will buy 60 additional streetcars thanks to a multi-level government investment of $568 million.
On Wednesday, the federal, provincial, and municipal governments announced they will be completing a joint investment into Toronto's public transit to enlarge the TTC's existing streetcar fleet.
The Ontario government will be investing $180 million, which will be matched by the Government of Canada, with the City of Toronto investing an additional $208 million.
Through the investment, the TTC will buy 60 new streetcars produced in Thunder Bay at the Alstom plant, which has been building rail cars for GO Transit for over 40 years, with the delivery of the new streetcars expected to begin in 2023.
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“Today is an exciting day for the City of Toronto and the City of Thunder Bay, as Ontario’s investment will help provide new, modern transit options for the hardworking residents of Toronto and the surrounding region, while also supporting good jobs in northern Ontario,” said Minister of Transportation, Caroline Mulroney.
“Our government knows the importance of working collaboratively with federal and municipal partners to champion public infrastructure projects – ones that support the health and growth of our local communities,” said Mulroney.
According to the provincial government, the new streetcars will ensure that the TTC can address immediate streetcar fleet needs and match the capacity of customer demand. The additional vehicles will also allow 50 buses that are currently supplementing streetcar service to return to operation on local bus routes.
The funds from the government will also go toward the TTC’s Hillcrest storage facility -- set to undergo an expansion -- so that it can accommodate the new vehicles.
"This landmark investment will allow the TTC to significantly expand our streetcar fleet and fund much-needed upgrades to the Hillcrest Complex," said Jaye Robinson, Toronto City Councillor and TTC Chair.
"The streetcar network has kept the City of Toronto moving, day in and day out, through the darkest days of the pandemic and will continue to support our economic recovery in the weeks and months to come," said Robinson.
In September 2019, the province announced the purchase of 36 bi-level cars from the Thunder Bay plant. The agreement allowed Metrolinx to add 31 standard and five accessible cars, which are on track to be fully delivered by summer. The order for 36 bi-levels brings the total bi-level availability to 949.
