Toronto Rolls Out New Streetcars
The TTC will begin servicing passengers on its modernized streetcars beginning Sunday morning on the 510 Spadina line.
The new cars will feature machines that allow customers to pay with tokens, tickets or cash.
In an effort to make the onboard machines less crowded, there will also be fare vending machines on the street along the route.
"They will help people try to pay their fare first, so that when they board the vehicle they don't have to try to get to a fare vending machine," said TTC spokesperson Brad Ross. "We're really excited about finally being able to see these new streetcars in service."
Other features include sliding doors with lights, increased passenger capacity, air conditioning, a lower floor to better serve passengers who use mobility devices, a quieter, smoother ride and bike storage.
According to Ross, the first updated streetcars will start on Spadina because, "You want to make sure that you are proving the system on a route that is more controllable than say, for example, King."
The first car will hit the track at 10:15 a.m. Sunday morning.
Each streetcar train is made up of five cars, which the TTC calls modules. The second module is where accessibility ramps will deploy.
To accompany the rollout of the new streetcars, the TTC has unveiled an updated map of the network.
The TTC has ordered 204 of the new streetcars. They will be deployed along various routes over the next five years in the following order:
- Aug. 31: 510 Spadina.
- 2015: 511 Bathurst and 509, Harbourfront.
- 2015 to 2016: 505 Dundas.
- 2016 to 2017: 501 Queen 508 Lakeshore, 504 King.
- 2018 to 2019: 512 St. Clair, 502 Downtown, 503 Kingston Road, 506 Carlton.
