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There were problems with the doors before, and that’s to be anticipated, sadly, with any new vehicle entering general service. But these malfunctions aren’t going away as the vehicles get worked in and TTC crews become more experienced in their operation. Something is wrong, and Byford rightly wants it fixed.

Now is a good time to fix it, too — Toronto has ordered 70 of the trainsets, and only 27 have been delivered. It would be nice to have this squared away at the point of manufacture, sparing us the need to remove trains from service for whatever eventual refits are required.

But there is another opportunity here, as well, to address one of the more baffling features of the new trains. Their wide-open design, though aesthetically pleasing and helpful for those with mobility issues, can make it difficult to find a place to grab onto. This wasn’t something I’d fully realized until I finally rode one of the new trains during a peak-traffic period two weeks ago. There simply aren’t enough bars or handholds or grips to reach for.

People noticed the lack of poles down the centre of the new trainsets — again, for improved mobility access — as soon as they were unveiled. But it’s not just the elimination of the centre poles that has proven problematic — there are large bulkheads in the ceiling every few metres, and these prevent there from being a long, ceiling-mounted row of handholds right down the centre of the train.

It might not be the sort of thing that you notice the first time you step onto one of the new vehicles. But it was certainly something I noticed when standing beneath one of these bulkheads. It was also something a gentleman who also happened to be riding the train at that time noticed, when I repeatedly grabbed onto him to keep my footing. Sorry about that again, good chap. But it was nice to meet you.

Admittedly, a few people bumping into each other is small potatoes next to doors that won’t close. But it is an irritant, and a surprising one. How was this missed?

The problems with the new cars and their balky doors is obviously less than ideal. But there’s an opportunity here. While Bombardier is fixing the doors, it would be nice if they found a place to hand a few extra handholds. Thousands of rush-hour riders would be grateful.