TTC head confirms cause of Scarborough RT derailment
The Scarborough RT derailed this past summer after bolts holding down power rails came loose, TTC CEO Rick Leary says.
Leary confirmed the finding to CTV News Toronto Tuesday morning.
“We know that ultimately there are some bolts that came loose, holding down the power rail,” Leary said.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The July 24 derailment sent five people to hospital with minor injuries and ended the life of the troubled line several months early.
“I think when you've heard me speak before about the infrastructure, you know, it (the Scarborough RT) was 38 years old, the design life was 25,” Leary said. “We've talked a lot in the past about state of good repair and needing funding, and unfortunately we've closed it and shut it down and we're running a bus service right now.”
A full report into the derailment is due in several weeks.
Reacting to the finding, TTC board member Coun. Josh Matlow told CTV News Toronto the derailment was caused by “rusty bolts and political dysfunction” and said the city was lucky that nobody died.
“The derailment happened because too many politicians put their own political interests before getting better transit built for Scarborough years ago,” Matlow said. “In fact, if they had stuck with the Transit City plan, an LRT would have been there back in 2015. And now we're waiting another decade for a subway to be built. Scarborough residents were not only left on the bus for the next decade, but were left with a faulty RT that derailed and could have killed somebody.”
The aging line had a design life of 25 years, but had been in service for 38 years, its lifespan extended several times as debate continued back-and-forth at city hall over how to build transit in Scarborough.
A Scarborough RT train is shown following a derailment on Monday night. Multiple people were injured as a result. (Corey Baird)
A three-stop subway extension is now being constructed, but won’t be ready before 2030.
Meanwhile, the city has set up dedicated bus lanes on regular roads to replace the RT service. Mayor Olivia Chow has said she wants to see the city build a dedicated busway in the path of the old RT, but the project is not yet funded.
Riders officially bid farewell to the aged line with a goodbye party on Saturday.
- With files from CTV News Toronto Reporter Natalie Johnson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate jail: lawyer
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.