TTC rolls out sexy new subway trains
With all the acrimony over Transit City, it’s easy to forget that the city, province and feds have all managed to play nice on at least one project: the purchase of new subway trains for the TTC. The new trains, due to start hitting the rails early next year, were unveiled this morning at Downsview station with all sorts of dignitaries, including David Miller, Adam Giambrone and Kathleen Wynne (who, reports indicate, managed to avoid getting into a shouting match over Presto cards). By all accounts, the trains sound pretty slick.
According to the Toronto Sun:
It’s the public debut for the trains bought in 2006 in a $710 million, sole-source deal with Bombardier.
More than 230 cars have been ordered, enough to make 39 trains, the TTC says.
The entire train is fully open, so passengers will be able to move through its whole length rather than being confined to one car.
The introduction of fully open trains is enough on its own to make us welcome them—even if the sole-source contract makes Rob Ford steam up a little. Once these trains get into service, we’ll no longer be confined to one car when the train stops between stations and some guy starts shouting obscenity-laced tirades about the aliens in his brain. Also, the ability to move between cars should allow each train to hold between eight to 10 per cent more people, so we might have a bit more breathing room—or, more likely, we’ll be treated to 10 per cent more BO before desperately surfacing for fresh air.
• New subway cars make public debut [Toronto Sun]
• TTC unveils new Red Rocket [Toronto Sun]
• New TTC subway cars to be revealed Thursday [Toronto Star]
. By all accounts, the trains sound pretty slick.
[caption id="attachment_43727" align="alignleft" width="317" caption="(Images: TTC/Mike DeToma)"][/caption]
According to the Toronto Sun:
It’s the public debut for the trains bought in 2006 in a $710 million, sole-source deal with Bombardier.
More than 230 cars have been ordered, enough to make 39 trains, the TTC says.
The entire train is fully open, so passengers will be able to move through its whole length rather than being confined to one car.
The introduction of fully open trains is enough on its own to make us welcome them—even if the sole-source contract makes Rob Ford steam up a little. Once these trains get into service, we’ll no longer be confined to one car when the train stops between stations and some guy starts shouting obscenity-laced tirades about the aliens in his brain. Also, the ability to move between cars should allow each train to hold between eight to 10 per cent more people, so we might have a bit more breathing room—or, more likely, we’ll be treated to 10 per cent more BO before desperately surfacing for fresh air.
• New subway cars make public debut [Toronto Sun]
• TTC unveils new Red Rocket [Toronto Sun]
• New TTC subway cars to be revealed Thursday [Toronto Star]){kind=link}
What happens when the air conditioning breaks in the summer? Now it is usually confined to one car. Will the entire train be suffering in the heat with no escape for the passengers? Also, the guy who shouts obscenity-laced tirades about the aliens will also not be confined to one car. Ever been the target for someone like that? They can be pretty dedicated to staying in your face. Good luck getting rid of them in the new train.
Why can’t the TTC make plastic/metal/wipeable seats? People spill stuff and make a mess all over these seats and you really can’t disinfect it yourself…. Anyone know what these seats are made out of and why the TTC continues to use it?
It’s nice we have the ablity to move on the train but what are we to hold onto when standing? There appears to be no poles except right by the seats..again we are hovering over each other…stupid ,obviously sole sourced and short cuts taken to give us less and charge more…FORD was correct about sole sourcing…it is not efficient…
why on the april 28 2010 posting there are handles from the ceiling?
Honestly, they should research the design from the trains in Japan and Korea. Their subway system is so much more efficient and they made use of everything on their trains so that people can actually hold onto something while standing (rather than having a small number of poles situated throughout the train). Also, it seems like there’s a lot less seating now. Really not looking forward to the new design since it seems more people will be forced to stand with nothing to hold onto, and you’ll just end up with a bunch of people pushing each other and falling over each other while trying to stand as the train moves.
I’ve BEEN on a bus that was on the 129 McCowan North route, that HAVE the SAME ergonomic chair design as VIVA and YRT.
Now my question is, why the hell does these “NEW” trains NOT have newer ergonomic chairs?
They’re thinner, better looking, saves space from the old thick design, and feels better.
TTC Fail.
Before everyone jumps to conclusions, please look at the interior photos on The Star’s website. There are handles mounted in the centre
http://www.thestar.com/fplarge/photo/875586
I waited out SIX trains this morning before I could even fit on one to take me to work. SIX TRAINS!!! Why has the city invested billions of dollars in new fancy trains INSTEAD of spending that money on NEW LINES or IMPROVING OUR EXISTING LINES to help spread out the congestion?!?! Sometimes this city makes me crazy!!!
Nicole: because the old trains were reaching end-of-life and needed to be replaced.
Nicole/Andrew: The reason Nicole had to wait 6 trains to get to work is because too big a slice of the transportation budget is going to road construction instead of adequate transit. Get on your MP and MPP’s cases and complain about this. Ever notice that road construction is so common that it barely makes a ripple in the news, but build or expand a subway system, or buy new trains for it, and the media is right there covering the VIPs as they celebrate the occasion.
i jus hope they dont break down the first few times they run
jus like the hybrid buses. . .
Nice new subway cars… and yes, they were sorely needed.
BUT if you Toronotonians don’t get off your butts and get into some activism, your streetcars are going to be retired and your traffic problems will escalate. SEND YOUR MESSAGE… more public transport… not more CARS. Think about it.