Bombardier has blown a deadline for delivering vehicles for Toronto’s Crosstown LRT.

The company was supposed to supply the first six cars of the 76-vehicle order to the Crosstown maintenance and storage facility in the Mount Dennis neighbourhood by Friday.

According to Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency in charge of the Crosstown, Bombardier has only delivered three.

“Bombardier Transportation has not met its contractual obligations to Metrolinx, namely to achieve the preliminary acceptance certificate for the first six vehicles by February 1, 2019,” said Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster in a statement.

“While Bombardier’s delivery times have improved, we are holding them to account, to protect the interests of riders and taxpayers.”

Verster said Metrolinx expects to receive the next three vehicles “over the course of the next couple of weeks.”

Read more:

Former TTC chief Andy Byford slams Bombardier, halts NYC deliveries over train issues

Metrolinx cancels Bathurst St. intersection closure amid uproar

Metrolinx still waiting for first Eglinton Crosstown vehicle

The $392-million vehicle contract outlines financial penalties for late delivery and Verster’s statement said Metrolinx “will enforce the contract and the financial penalties will be applied.” The agency wouldn’t divulge what those penalties are, however.

A spokesperson for Bombardier declined to answer questions Friday, referring inquiries to Metrolinx.

On Dec. 31, a spokesperson told the Star Bombardier was “on track” to meet the Feb. 1 deadline. But one week later the company would only say it was “committed” to supplying vehicles on time.

The first Crosstown vehicle arrived Jan. 8.

Metrolinx agreed in 2017 to purchase 76 vehicles from Bombardier to run on the $5.4-billion rail line currently under construction across midtown Toronto. The Crosstown is scheduled to open in September 2021.

The order was revised down from 182 vehicles at a cost of $770 million after a legal dispute in which Metrolinx alleged Bombardier had failed to live up to its contract.

In April 2017, a judge sided with Bombardier and blocked Metrolinx from cancelling the contract outright.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Metrolinx’s order is separate from the TTC’s $1-billion purchase of 204 streetcars from Bombardier. That order has also faced delays, although Bombardier says it is on course to supply the full fleet by the end of 2019 as scheduled.

Last week, New York City Transit president and former TTC CEO Andy Byford halted subway car deliveries from Bombardier because of technical problems with the vehicles.

Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr

Read more about: