TORONTO: The Toronto Transit Commission’s top brass met with Bombardier officials at the company’s Thunder Bay, Ont., plant to discuss the possibility of ramping up the production of the city’s new streetcars.
The new vehicles are being manufactured at a cost of $1.25 billion. All 204 of the futuristic streetcars are slated to be delivered by 2019, when the aging cars in the TTC’s existing fleet are expected to retire.
The company, however, has been plagued with manufacturing issues that have delayed the rollout of the state-of-the art vehicles.
The initial rollout schedule called for 50 new streetcars by May, but only six are currently in operation.
“Bombardier certainly understands that we’re not happy customers,” TTC CEO Andy Byford told CTV Toronto ahead of the meeting. Byford was joined Tuesday by TTC chair Josh Colle.
Following the face-to-face meeting, both Byford and Colle said they were encouraged by the discussion. They said the project is under new management and there’s a new production line for the remaining streetcars.
Bombardier is now promising the completion of one new streetcar every five days, beginning by the end of July.
The TTC previously said it hopes to have 30 new streetcars on the road by the end of 2015.
The vehicles, which the TTC says are eight times more dependable than the older model, come equipped with a proof-of-payment system, air conditioning, and more entry/exit doors.
