Doug Ford and Unifor call on feds to provide cash for new Line 2 subway trains
Premier Doug Ford and Canada's largest private sector union issued a joint statement Wednesday calling on the federal government to kick in the cash needed to replace the TTC's aging Line 2 subway trains.
"Thousands of workers in Thunder Bay, where the subway trains are made, and millions of transit riders are depending on the federal government funding its share of the project," Ford and Unifor President Lana Payne said in their statement.
The province has already pledged, as part of its new deal with the city, to spend $758 million to buy the trains, but has made that contingent on the federal government picking up part of the tab as well.
"The province and city reached this deal over seven months ago, but the federal government has yet to announce its commitment," Ford and Payne said.
Less than two weeks ago, outgoing TTC CEO Rick Leary said he's concerned that the TTC is still hundreds of millions of dollars short of the amount needed to replace the trains, which are set to reach the end of their design life in 2026.
“It is very serious. We have seen what happens when you extend the life of vehicles beyond their useful life," Leary said.
Vehicles for the Scarborough RT, which was eventually shuttered following a derailment, were refurbished past the end of their lifecycle because the city had not built a replacement system in time.
The TTC has pegged the cost of buying 55 new trains for Line 2 and 25 new trains to expand capacity on Line 1 at some $3.52 billion.
In a social media post, Mayor Olivia Chow thanked Ford and Payne for their letter.
"Thank you Premier and @UniforTheUnion for your advocacy to secure Federal support for much needed subway cars on the Bloor-Danforth line," Chow wrote on X. "Without it soon, the City will have to use its share of funds to extend our trains past their lifespan, putting reliable service in jeopardy. We need a commitment in the next few months to get the order underway."
In an interview with CP24 Thursday morning, Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said that while new trains are essential to keep Line 2 running, they are also needed as the transit system expands.
"When we talk about Line 2, it's about making sure that the state of good repair of our TTC trains continues to keep up to speed," Sarkaria said. "But on top of that, we've got two new lines coming in that will use these cars; the Scarborough subway extension, the young North Subway Extension, both critical to transit over the next 10 years."
A TTC report back in December warned that the new vehicles are needed to keep the system running properly.
"In the absence of full funding for Line 2 NSTs (new subway trains), the ability to sustain a reliable service on Line 2 is at risk due to the age of the fleet and signalling system," the report said. "Forecasted growth in customer demand on Line 1 will also not be accommodated without a new train procurement advancing."
In a statement, the office of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Sean Fraser acknowledged that public transit "is essential to building healthy, sustainable, and affordable communities."
Fraser's office pointed out that the federal government is establishing a "Permanent Public Transit Fund," which will provide $3 billion per year to transit projects across the country.
"This commitment that will (sic) create further opportunities for communities like Toronto to make longer-term transit plans, maintain and expand their transit networks, and get projects built," the statement said. "We will have more news to share about the rollout of this fund in the coming weeks."
The statement added that "while we cannot comment on specific funding decisions, we are continuing to collaborate closely with the TTC and the City of Toronto on how we can support their needs."
Transit advocacy group TTC Riders and Environmental Defence also weighed in Wednesday with a statement calling on the Trudeau government to come to the table with funding for the trains, saying that if they don't, "subway service will become less reliable and the TTC will need to spend at least $1.6 billion on overhauling and extending the life of existing trains."
They pointed out that ordering new subway trains "is not like ordering something on Amazon." They said the trains will take years to build and deliver, while the old trains are quickly nearing the end of their expected service life in 2026.
-With files from Chris Fox
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Protesters smash windows at McGill University; police use tear gas to disperse crowd
Montreal police deployed tear gas as they dispersed a crowd of protesters participating in a pro-Palestinian demonstration after members of the group smashed windows at McGill University Friday evening.
Biden rejects independent medical evaluation in ABC interview as he fights to stay in race
U.S. President Joe Biden, fighting to save his endangered reelection effort, used a highly anticipated TV interview Friday to repeatedly reject taking an independent medical evaluation that would show voters he is up for serving another term in office while blaming his disastrous debate performance on a 'bad episode' and saying there were 'no indications of any serious condition.'
Canada beat Venezuela on penalties to reach Copa America semifinals
Canada claimed a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Venezuela on Friday to reach the Copa America semifinals for the first time after an absorbing contest finished 1-1.
Owe money for CERB? Here's how the CRA is getting it back
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) may face some hurdles in collecting the money loaned through COVID-19 pandemic relief programs, like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), according to a tax lawyer.
Stay away from hogweed: What you need to know about these pesky and dangerous plants
Hogweed is harmful to humans and, experts say, the invasive species has become a growing problem in southern Ontario.
N.B. man denied flight due to tear in passport’s seam
What seemed to be a minor passport issue turned into a major problem for a New Brunswick man who was denied a boarding pass from Air Canada.
Earth's core has slowed so much it's moving backward, scientists confirm. Here's what it could mean
Deep inside Earth is a solid metal ball that rotates independently of our spinning planet, like a top whirling around inside a bigger top, shrouded in mystery.
Summer jobs could prove tough to come by for students, according to latest job stats
Statistics Canada’s latest jobs report shows youth unemployment reached a near decade high.
Ottawa woman, 49, wins $70 million, plans to help community
An Ottawa woman, who has survived cancer and has overcome addiction, has won $70 million with Lotto Max.