TTC issues RFP for 55 new subway trains for Line 2 subway

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for 55 new subway trains for the Line 2 subway, which is a 26-kilometer (16.2-mile) subway line connecting residents from Etobicoke to Scarborough, Ontario. The RFP follows the Nov. 29 confirmation of C$1.2 billion (US$853 million) in federal funding allocated to the TTC from the Canada Public Transit Fund Baseline Funding Stream over 10 years – of which C$758 million (US$538.7 million) will be dedicated to the 55 new subway trains. 

The government of Ontario has also committed $758 million (US$538.7 million) in funding through the Ontario-Toronto New Deal Agreement, with the city of Toronto contributing a matching amount. 

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

“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 notes the procurement is for 70 trains in total, with 55 trains allocated to replace aging trains on Line 2 and 15 trains for the province’s Yonge North Subway Extension and Scarborough Subway Extension projects. 

 As part of the overall strategy to modernize Line 2, the TTC has also launched a procurement for a new Automatic Train Control (ATC) system on Line 2. TTC notes that ATC, which is currently running on Line 1, automatically controls train speed and separation between trains. Train location can be monitored more accurately, allowing more trains to operate closer together, meaning more frequent and reliable service for customers and fewer signal-related delays. 

TTC is currently developing a state-of-good-repair program 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. TTC notes the RFP also includes options for up to an additional 150 trains to meet the future needs for network growth and eventual replacement of trains on Line 1. 

“We’re very pleased to launch this competitive procurement process for new Line 2 trains, as we know that the oldest of our current Line 2 trains will be reaching the end of their design life in 2026,” said TTC Interim CEO Greg Percy. “I want to thank our federal, provincial and municipal partners for working together to keep Toronto moving.”