With vehicles over 30 years old, the Toronto Transit Commission's streetcar fleet is wearing out and has earned its place in our transit history. As Toronto emerges as a world city, the TTC is doing its part to keep pace with the times by bringing badly needed upgrades to its streetcar network. Part of the upgrades are a new fleet of 204 Low-Floor-Light-Rail-Vehicle (LFLRV) streetcars. UrbanToronto got a sneak peak at the new streetcar this morning with a ride down to Bathurst Subway Station from the TTC's Hillcrest Facility.

New TTC Streetcar 4401 approaching Bathurst Station, photo by Brandon Leal

Based on Bombardier's Flexity Model, the new cars are being built in Thunder Bay, Ontario before being transported by dedicated rail cars to the TTC's Hillcrest facility, arriving on the rail tracks that run just north of Dupont Street. When they get there, the new vehicles are offloaded on a special purpose-built spur track shown below, linking the flatbed rail cars to the TTC's streetcar tracks.

Production car 4403 Being unloaded off specialty rail spur into the Hillcrest TTC yard, image courtesy of TTC

Before the production models rolled in, three prototype vehicles 4400, 4401 and 4402 were put through the ringer to ensure the new cars would be able to take everything Toronto could throw at them. Speaking with Mark Knackstedt, Training Coordinator for the project, we learned just how much the new cars went through.

At the National Research Council in Ottawa, car 4400 was put on a Bake-and-Freeze regimen in climate-controlled chambers going from +45°C down to -45°C as the crew ran a battery of tests on all the various components. Back in Toronto, the remaining prototypes disengaged 2 of the 3 motors, were loaded up with 20 tonnes of sand and sent up the Bathurst Street hill, one of the steepest of all streetcar systems around the world. Under these and many other tests, including towing and emergency stopping, the vehicles have performed with flying colours.

Interiors of the new TTC streetcars, photo by Brandon Leal

Once riders get on board they will quickly notice the new spacious interiors and modern touches, including air conditioning, all door accessible boarding, bike racks, Presto card readers and 2 automated single ticket vending machines. Built to a maximum capacity of 251 passengers, riders will also enjoy plenty of natural light through the large windows, with no shortage of places to hang onto. With various mechanical redundancies, including multiple motors, power converters and braking systems, riders can rest assured their travel will be more reliable and uninterrupted as operators can simply carry on to the end of their shifts.

Presto Card Readers and future spot for Automated Ticket Vending Machine, photo by Brandon Leal

Accessibility Ramp on New TTC Streetcars, photo by Brandon Leal

Drivers of the new vehicles are also in for a completely modern experience, noted Knackstedt. Closer to the bridge of the Starship Enterprise than an a driver's seat, the cab comes outfitted with the latest technologies. Out are the old pedals and deadman's switch of the old cars, and in is a touch-and-motion-sensitive new throttle lever. Out also are the old physical mirrors, now replaced with cameras and video screens. Digital systems will now relay and communicate vehicle status and any alerts to the operators through touchscreen interfaces.

New Streetcar Operator's Cab with throttle level on left arm rest, photo by Brandon Leal

New Camera-Operated Mirrors in Operator's cab, photo by Brandon Leal

For motorists one of the most unnerving things is being unsure if a streetcar is about to open its doors to let passengers out. The new streetcars solve that problem with a series of flashing lights and chimes designed to keep everyone safe and well aware of their surroundings.

Lighting and Alerts for drivers as they approach from the rear, photo by Brandon leal

At a total upgrade cost of $1.2 billion, the new streetcars certainly were not cheap, but what drivers, operators, and most importantly riders are getting is a fleet of ultra-modern, gorgeously designed and decidedly resilient streetcars. If they prove to be anything like their ancestors, it's likely that 30 years from now we'll still be singing their praises.

With the first production car set just recieved this past week, the TTC expects to role out the first vehicles on its 510 Spadina line later this summer, with the 511 Bathurst and 509 Harbourfront lines to follow next. As the streetcars get closer to their debut date, UrbanToronto will keep you informed on the latest. Checkout our dataBase links below for more information about the Leslie Barns where the new streetcars will be stored, join in on the Forum discussion, or leave a comment below to tell us what you think of Toronto's new ride.