The next generation of Toronto transit is coming to Evergreen Brick Works!

From September 4 to October 29, visitors to EBW and the MOVE Expo will get a sneak peak at the new light rail vehicles (LRVs) that will be carrying passengers along the new Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown line, and eventually similar Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines along Sheppard and Finch.

Don’t miss your chance to check out Toronto’s newest ride!

The new LRVs are part of Metrolinx’s ambitious plan (The Big Move) to improve public transit in the GTHA. Metrolinx recently received approval to go ahead on five major transit projects to be completed over the next 10 years, which will include the Sheppard East light rail line between Don Mills Station and Conlins Road; the much-needed Eglinton-Crosstown LRT between Jane Street and Kennedy Station; and York Region’s Viva bus rapid transit (BRT) project along Highway 7, Yonge Street and Davis Drive.

Metrolinx’s “5 in 10 plan” for completing these major transit projects includes purchasing 182 LRVs (like the one on display at EBW) over the next ten years.

“Committing to buy these vehicles is a crucial milestone in realizing these four major rapid transit projects in Toronto,” said J. Robert S. Prichard, President and CEO of Metrolinx. “We are making good progress on our plan.”

After two years of detailed consultation and development, Metrolinx completed The Big Move on November 28, 2008. The final plan identified 15 priority projects across the GTHA, and funding work has begun on several of these: extending the Spadina subway through York University to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre; building a dedicated busway along the 403 in Mississauga; and linking Pearson Airport and Union Station by rail in time for the Pan Am Games. The plan also identified improving Union Station as a priority action, and a major revitalization of this facility, Canada’s busiest transportation hub, has also broken ground.

LRVs versus Streetcars
The Metrolinx LRV fleet will differ from Toronto’s traditional streetcar fleet, which are designed for on-street operations on an older track network in a tight urban environment. The new LRVs are engineered for a dedicated LRT line, so that the vehicles will not be impeded or slowed down by regular car traffic, which is often the drawback with Toronto’s streetcar system.

Compared to the TTC’s replacement streetcars, the Metrolinx LRVs will be slightly longer and wider, and have several added features, including the capability to be connected together and operated as a train of two or three vehicles; the ability to be driven in both directions (there are driver cabs at both ends and it does not require a “loop” to turn around); and an associated station platform for quick and easy wheelchair boarding, using “load leveling” technology.