April 25, 2024

Transit users deliver oversized “fund evasion” ticket to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland

(Toronto, ON) -- Volunteers from transit advocacy organization TTCriders delivered an oversized “fund evasion” ticket to Minister Chrystia Freeland’s office this morning. Transit users are urging the federal government to make critical investments in TTC reliability and safety by speeding up the Permanent Public Transit Fund and funding new subway trains.

Funding for new subway trains, state of good repair left out of federal budget

“It’s time for federal MPs to stop evading their responsibility to fund the TTC,” said TTCriders volunteer Mackenzie Bartlett. “Hundreds of thousands of people who rely on the subway system every day are counting on our MPs to keep the TTC safe and reliable by chipping in for new subway trains and speeding up the Permanent Public Transit Fund.”

“Investing in the TTC is not just about the subway arriving on time, it’s about our safety,” said TTCriders board member Shun Hang To. “The TTC had to shut down the Line 1 subway on March 1, 2024 to complete emergency repairs on a cracked switch rail. This should be a wakeup call to prioritize investment in the TTC’s state of good repair needs.”

The 2024 federal budget did not fund new TTC subway trains or accelerate the federal Permanent Public Transit Fund. TTC staff have warned that less reliable subway service and more crowded trains are on the horizon if aging subway trains on Line 2 are not replaced. New subway trains are also needed to add future capacity on Line 1 Yonge-University and for subway extensions that are under construction.

Background Information:

The CEOs of Canada’s three largest transit agencies have urged the federal government to speed up the delivery of the Permanent Public Transit Fund, which is set to begin in 2026.
The TTC has an unfunded State of Good Repair Backlog of $8.2 billion over the next 10 years.
In June 2023, the TTC canceled its Request for Proposals for new subway trains because it lacked the funds to procure the trains.
The Province of Ontario has committed to provide $758 million for the TTC to order 55 replacement subway trains for the Line 2 Bloor-Danforth subway, on the condition that the City of Toronto and the Government of Canada match the funding.
The City of Toronto committed $817.1 million to ordering new Line 2 subway trains in its 2024 budget.
Once full funding from the federal government is secured for 55 new subway trains on Line 2, the TTC and Metrolinx intend to add to the order to procure additional trains at a lower cost:
- The TTC will order an additional 25 trains to enhance capacity on the Line 1 Yonge-University subway.
- Metrolinx will order 7 additional trains for the Scarborough Subway Extension, which is projected to open in 2030.
- Metrolinx will order 8 additional trains for the Yonge North Subway Extension, which is projected to open in 2032.
If full funding for new subway trains is secured in early 2024, trains will be delivered between 2030 and 2035.
Without funding support from all levels of government in early 2024, the cost of procuring 80 subway trains (55 to replace aging Line 2 trains and 25 for enhanced Line 1 capacity) will increase by at least $90 million and the TTC will be required to implement additional costly measures to extend the life of aging trains and systems:
- Scenario 1: Funding secured in Q1 2024 with delivery between 2030 to 2035, at an estimated cost of $3.23 billion.
- Scenario 2: Funding secured by Q1 2025 with delivery between 2031 to 2036, at an estimated cost of $3.32 billion.
- Scenario 3: Procurement in 2030 with delivery between 2036 to 2041, at an estimated cost of $3.74 billion as well as spending on life extension of fleet and signalling systems.
Delaying the procurement of new subway trains will limit the possibility of adding platform edge safety doors on Line 2.

Links:

TTC staff report: New Subway Train Procurement and Implications for Line 2 Modernization and Future Growth (November 2023): https://cdn.ttc.ca/-/media/Project/TTC/DevProto/Documents/Home/Public-Meetings/Board/2023/November-22/5_New_Subway_Train_Procurement_and_Implications_for_Line_2_Modernization_and_Future_Growth.pdf
Terms of the New Deal Between Ontario and Toronto (November 2023): https://www.ontario.ca/page/terms-new-deal-between-ontario-and-toronto
Federal Permanent Public Transit Fund: https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/transit-transport/consultation-eng.html

Contact:

Shelagh Pizey-Allen

4167990760

Transit users deliver oversized “fund evasion” ticket to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland

Funding for new subway trains, state of good repair left out of federal budget

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