

Joshua Freeman, CP24.com





The TTC says a new facility for streetcar track maintenance could save nearly $2 million a year and reduce transit delays.

Mayor John Tory and TTC Chair Josh Colle toured part of the new Streetcar Way shop at the TTC’s Hillcrest Complex near Bathurst Street and Davenport Road Tuesday morning.

Speaking with reporters afterward, Tory said the new facility is expected to save the TTC about $1.8 million in leases and other efficiencies.

“This new facility will have a great impact on the TTC’s bottom line, but it will also have an impact on commuters,” Tory said.

The new shop will be able to bend longer pieces of rail, meaning those sections of track will be more durable and less prone to breakage and hence lead to fewer disruptions to service.

“This will save time for our passengers and save money for the city and the TTC,” Colle said. “The TTC experiences major delays on a daily basis and much of it is because of track that we have to upgrade.”

At the moment, Streetcar Way, the division responsible for repairing switches and rails for streetcars, is spread out over a number of facilities across the city. The new centralized shop at the Hillcrest Complex will save money by reducing the amount of space the city leases, as well as reducing the costs of transporting tools and parts between the different facilities.

The new facility will cost $27.7 million and is being funded by a 50-50 partnership with the federal government through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.

The new shop is set to open by the end of 2018.