New subway cars modernise Toronto

Nathan Christie
Contributor
Transit updates:  A new line of TTC subway cars will be phased into use, hopefully making Toronto’s subway system more like the systems in other major cities around the world.
While our new mayor may be keen on taking down Transit City, subway riders in Toronto nevertheless have something to look forward to as early as this month. The latest TTC subway cars have arrived in Toronto, and you can expect to step into one along the Yonge-University-Spadina line sometime soon.

These shiny new cars, dubbed the “Toronto Rocket” or “TR” for short, give riders access to several new features, from LED-lit route maps that signal the next station on the line, to coloured bars and poles coated with anti-microbial solution – ideal if you just so happened to be sitting next to the one guy that does not cover his sneezes.
The Rocket also does away with the doors in between each car: you can now walk all the way from one end of the train to the other to find that one last empty seat, just like on the Queen streetcar.
This, along with an increase in overall capacity, will hopefully make for some less crowded commutes for riders.
The TR series of trains is the fifth model to appear on TTC tracks – not counting the M1 series unique to the Scarborough RT line – and will replace some of the previous T series models.
These T series cars will be then moved to the Bloor-Danforth line, where the H series – you know them as the infamous trains with the unsavory orange seating – will finally be retired. Although the new subway carswere brought in with relatively little controversy (for a TTC project, any- way) there was some debate when the manufacturing contract hung between Canadian firm Bombardier and its chief competitor, German engineering conglomerate Siemens.
Siemens had offered a cheaper contract to the tune of $100 million in savings, but Bombardier won the deal with the promise they’d help keep the manufacturing jobs here at home. Siemens, although cheaper, would have built their cars outside of Canada. Some councilors reportedly opposed the deal, and preferred to open the decision to public tender.
For now, though, TTC riders can put that trouble in the past, and enjoy something new during their daily commute.
What to expect in the new subway cars
Hi-tech poles
Antibacterial and colour-coded poles for holding while standing
Navigation
LED-lit maps for easier navigation of the subway system
Walk between cars
Full-length train will have no doors, allowing for more room inside the car as well as more mobility inside the train
Electronic displays
Let people know the upcoming station, like on busses
With files from TTC.ca