Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland makes an announcement on April 9, 2024. Image: CPAC video capture
Funding for new trains on the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) Line 2 is coming.
The provincial government is investing $758 million to help the TTC purchase 55 new trains for the line.
This funding was initially announced in 2023 but was conditional on the federal government meeting its financial commitment, which it did on Friday.
“It’s nearly 12 months to the day that the Government of Ontario reached a historic deal with the City of Toronto to help ensure the city’s long-term financial stability,” said Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, Prabmeet Sarkaria. “Toronto is the economic hub of Canada, and we need all levels of government working together to ensure the city has the critical transit infrastructure it needs to grow for the future. After months of uncertainty, we are pleased to see the federal government step up.”
The Federal government is committing almost $1.2 billion over the next decade to help the TTC.
A matching $758 million of these funds are being used to help purchase the trains.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland would like to see the subway cars built in Thunder Bay.
“You have here the federal government, the provincial government, the city of Toronto and the people who run the TTC, and I think all of us are in wild, emphatic agreement that we want these subway cars to be built in Thunder Bay,” said Freeland. “Canadians, Ontarians have a fabulous manufacturing sector we know how to build things in our country and in this great province, and it absolutely makes sense for the people of Canada to build great subway cars for the city of Toronto, I think we all agree on that.”
During the visit, Singh said, “flowing federal funds for Toronto’s trains would offer hope and relief to hundreds of Thunder Bay workers and their families,” but there is no guarantee the trains will be built in Thunder Bay.
“We have not released the procurement yet, we are ready to press send, there’ll be a notice going out on Monday,” explained TTC Interim CEO, Greg Percy. “By all means, we’d be more than pleased to have Alstom as a serious competitor on the fleet, but it will be opened more broadly as well.”
