The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has issued a request for proposals for 55 new subway trains to replace aging trains on Line 2. 

This request is following the November 29 confirmation of a $1.2 billion received in federal funding from the Canada Public Transit Fund Baseline Funding Stream over 10 years. $758 million of this funding will be dedicated to the 55 new subway trains.

An additional $758 million has been committed by the Province of Ontario through the Ontario-Toronto New Deal Agreement, with the City of Toronto also contributing a matching amount.

“When Toronto is moving, Canada is growing,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “This request for proposal will provide 55 new subway cars that will keep Toronto moving for generations to come.”

The procurement is for 70 trains total, with the 55 requested trains replacing aging trains on Line 2 and 15 additional trains going to the province’s Yonge North Subway Extension and Scarborough Subway Extension Projects.

TTC has also launched a procurement of a new Automatic Train Control system as part of an overall strategy to modernize Line 2. The Automatic Train Control is currently running on Line 1 and automatically controls train speed and separation between trains.

The Automatic Train Control system can monitor train locations accurately, allowing more trains to operate closer together. This means more frequent and reliable service for customers and fewer signal-related delays.

“Line 2 moves hundreds of thousands of people across the city daily, connecting people from Etobicoke to Scarborough,” said TTC Chair Jamaal Myers. “The RFP for new trains is critical towards ensuring that Line 2 can continue to transport riders across the city in a safe and reliable manner for many years to come.”

TTC is currently developing a State of Good Repair program to allow them to maintain the existing trains on Line 2 until the new trains are delivered starting in 2030.

The design of the new subway trains will have additional features to improve accessibility and customer and employee experience. The request also includes options for up to an additional 150 trains to meet future needs for network growth and the eventual replacement of trains on Line 1.