TORONTO – The Ontario government has announced an investment of $ 180 million to purchase 60 new streetcars for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).
The $ 180 million will be matched by the Government of Canada, and the City of Toronto will invest an additional $ 208 million. The streetcars will be produced in Thunder Bay, and delivery of the vehicles will begin in 2023.
“This is an exciting day for the City of Toronto and the City of Thunder Bay as Ontario’s investment will help deliver new, modern transit options to hardworking residents of Toronto and the surrounding area, all by supporting good jobs in Northern Ontario, ”said Minister Mulroney.
“Our government recognizes the importance of working collaboratively with federal and municipal partners to champion public infrastructure projects – those that support the health and growth of our local communities. “
These new trams will allow the TTC to meet the immediate needs of the tram fleet, meet customer demand and reallocate 50 buses that currently complete the tram service to put them back into service on local bus lines.
“This investment will double the value for Ontarians, providing the people of Toronto with state-of-the-art transit infrastructure and bringing good jobs and work to workers at Alstom’s Thunder Bay plant,” said Minister Rickford.
“Our government is taking strong action to support good jobs in Thunder Bay and strengthen northern Ontario’s manufacturing sector. “
In addition, Metrolinx will continue discussions with Alstom as part of their existing contract for the refurbishment of two-tier cars with additional two-tier GOs. The refurbishment of the cars on the GO rail network will allow more trains to operate at an optimal level of service for GO customers. These safe, reliable and comfortable cars provide riders with more enjoyable journeys on the entire GO network.
• Delivery of the trams to the TTC will begin in 2023.
• The more than $ 500 million will also include work to expand the TTC Hillcrest warehouse in Toronto to accommodate the new streetcars.
• GO rail cars have been built in Thunder Bay facilities for over 40 years.
• In September 2019, the province announced the purchase of 36 double-decker cars from the Thunder Bay plant. The deal allowed Metrolinx to add 31 standard cars and five accessible cars and are on track for full delivery by the summer. The order for 36 double-decker cars brings the total availability of these cars to 949.
Mayor John Tory said: “This is good news for Toronto and Thunder Bay. The streetcar is an important and essential part of Toronto’s transit system – the largest transit system in Canada.
“It’s the right thing to do right now. I am proud to have worked so that the City, the province and the federal government come together to make this investment. This investment will allow us to have the streetcars we need to operate our transit system in the future and to make the necessary upgrades to the TTC Hillcrest facility.
“This is another example of the investments we can make in transit infrastructure and the jobs that are created when all governments work together.
“ Bill Mauro, Mayor of Thunder Bay added; “Thank you to the federal and provincial governments for today’s announcement. Our collective advocacy and the support of our key government partners will provide future employment opportunities for our local Alstom plant and is a step forward in ensuring its longterm viability. “