After ready greater than a yr, the Metropolis of Toronto has lastly obtained affirmation from each the provincial and federal governments that they’ll assist shoulder the huge value of changing a fleet of subway trains.
On Friday, the federal authorities introduced it would give Toronto $758 million to purchase new subway automobiles, signing on to a dedication the provincial authorities made final yr as a part of its new deal for Toronto.
“Our government knows improving public transit is essential to ensuring our economy reaches its full potential,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland mentioned in an announcement. “The TTC needs new subway cars to keep up with the growing transit demands of our growing city.”
The subway automobile funding from Ottawa is a part of a broader, long-term transit dedication.
Toronto has been asking for assist to purchase a fleet of latest subway trains to run on Line 2: Bloor-Danfoth as technical points with the present fleet grew. The price of shopping for new trains, nevertheless, was one thing the town mentioned it merely couldn’t deal with by itself.
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Final yr, as a part of a brand new take care of Toronto that additionally uploaded duty for the Gardiner Expressway to Queen’s Park, the provincial authorities promised it could assist with the prices of 55 new subway automobiles — on situation Ottawa pitched in too.
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With the affirmation of $758 million from Ottawa, Queen’s Park mentioned its an identical funding will even circulate.
“It’s nearly 12 months to the day that the Government of Ontario reached a historic deal with the City of Toronto to help ensure the city’s long-term financial stability,” Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria mentioned in an announcement. “After months of uncertainty, we are pleased to see the federal government step up.”
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Toronto’s present fleet of Line 2 trains is roughly 30 years outdated and is reaching the tip of its helpful life.
Over the previous yr, particularly, the TTC has been growing its warnings concerning the state of Line 2, which runs from Scarborough within the east to Etobicoke on Toronto’s western edge.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has been beating the drum to get a deal signed to safe funding since her election in 2023.
“I am very concerned about the lifespan of the Bloor subway cars, it is getting very old and it takes a while for us to get new ones and for new ones to get constructed,” she mentioned in October final yr.
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Chow mentioned the town needed to cancel plans to order new trains when no different ranges of presidency got here to the desk with a safe funding plan.
“We have one-third of the funding ready now,” mentioned Chow on the time.
The TTC has advised it takes between three to 4 years to obtain new subway automobiles, with a portion of the present fleet set to succeed in the tip of its design life by 2026.
— with recordsdata from Ontario Chronicle’ Matthew Bingley
© 2024 Ontario Chronicle, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
