TTC Page

The Toronto Transit Commission, or TTC, is the largest transit system in Canada, serving a population of 2.5 million, and the third most heavily used system in North America, after New York and Mexico City. With over 2000 buses, the TTC has the largest bus fleet in Canada and the fourth largest in North America, behind New York’s MTA Regional Bus Operations, Los Angeles’ LACMTA, and New Jersey’s NJ Transit. The TTC also has a fleet of 248 streetcars, the only city in Canada to have retained its original streetcar service, as well as 678 subway cars and 28 light-rail cars for the Scarborough RT. Almost all bus routes connect with the subway system, which was opened in 1954 and has since been expanded to three lines extending across the city with plans to extend the subway into York Region. Bus models currently in service include Orion V and VII, New Flyer D40LF, and NovaBus RTS buses.

All photos are by the webmaster unless noted otherwise.

Subways

	5803 is an H-5 series subway car, shown parked with 5364 at the Davisville Yard on Dec. 30, 2004. The H-5 cars were built by Hawker-Siddeley of Thunder Bay and were introduced in 1976, making them some of the oldest subway cars in use by the TTC.
	An H-5 train leaves Museum Station on September 6, 2009.
	5253 is a T-1 series subway car, shown resting at the Davisville Yard on Dec. 30, 2004. The T-1 cars, built by Bombardier Inc., entered service in 1996 and feature significantly wider doors to allow wheelchair access to the trains.
	5364 is another T-1 series subway car, shown at the Davisville Yard on Dec. 30, 2004. This car was part a second order of T-1 cars placed in 1998.
	A train of T-1 cars leaves Davisville Station on Dec. 30, 2004. The Yonge-University-Spadina and Sheppard lines usually use H-5 and T-1 subway cars, while the Bloor-Danforth line uses H-6 and T-1 cars. The H-4 cars, the oldest in the fleet, are used on the Bloor-Danforth line only during peak hours.
	A train of T-1 cars on its way to Finch Station was spotted pulling into Davisville Station on Dec. 30, 2004.
	Two T-1 trains (left and centre) and an H-5 train rest at the Davisville Yard on Dec. 30, 2004. Due to incompatible electrical systems, the T-1 cars cannot be used in service with the older vehicles, though they can be coupled for emergency towing.
	Two T-1 cars are shown parked at the Davisville Yard. This photo was taken on Dec. 30, 2004.

Scarborough RT

	3014 was seen pulling into a Scarborough RT station on January 25, 2009. These Mark 1 ICTS cars, built by the Urban Transit Development Corp. between 1982 and 1986, are similar to the older cars used by the SkyTrain in Vancouver and the Detroit People Mover. (Photo by Trevor H.)
	3015 is shown leaving Scarborough Centre Station en route to McCowan Station on Oct. 9, 2008.
	3020 was spotted arriving at Scarborough Centre Station on Oct. 9, 2008.

Buses

	2787 was a rebuilt 1981 GM T6H-5307N, seen at Finch Station across from the York Regional Terminal on August 9, 2001. Numbered 8602 until June 2000, this bus was retired in Nov. 2005.
	8785 was a 1982 General Motors T6H-5307N, seen at Glencairn Station on August 8, 2001. Renumbered 2285 after its 18-year rebuild, this bus was retired in November 2009. Toronto was one of several Canadian cities which decided to rebuild its New Look buses rather than replacing them with new vehicles, extending their service lives for several years and maintaining them in service long after other Canadian cities had retired their GM buses.
	2448, originally 8948, was a rebuilt 1983 GM T6H-5307N shown arriving at Scarborough Town Centre on Oct. 9, 2008. It was retired in February 2010.
	2469 was another rebuilt 1983 GM New Look, originally 8969, and was seen at Lawrence West Station on Nov. 22, 2002. Behind 2469 is 6174, a 1986 Flyer D901. 6174 was withdrawn in November 2005 while 2469 was retired in February 2010.
	8970 was a 1983 GM T6H-5307N, seen unloading passengers at Lawrence West Station on Nov. 22, 2002. This bus was later rebuilt and numbered 2470, lasting another nine years before being retired in October 2011. The TTC continued to operate GM New Looks until the early morning hours of December 17, 2011, when 2281 went out of service for the last time. Four other buses had also run the previous day—2286, 2290, 2444 and 2855—the last full day of non-accessible bus service in Toronto.
	6170 was a 1986 Flyer D901, seen near Islington Station. This photo was taken on August 9, 2001. The last of the TTC’s Flyer buses were retired in September 2007, with this bus being withdrawn in August 2006.
	6223 is a 1987 GM TC-40102N, seen leaving Kennedy Station on Sept. 3, 2003. By July 2009, this bus and 6221 were only Classics left in TTC service, being used as employee shuttles for the water filtration plant in the Toronto Islands.
	6236 was another 1987 GM Classic, seen near Downsview Station during World Youth Day activities on July 28, 2002. Dozens of packed buses were used to ferry pilgrims to the Yonge Street subway via Sheppard Avenue, which was closed to all non-TTC vehicles. This bus was retired in December 2007.
	6290 was a 1987 MCI TC-40102N, seen on Bay Street near Nathan Philips Square on August 9, 2001. This particular bus was retired in November 2007.
	6423 was a 1988 New Flyer D40, seen on Islington Avenue near Bloor Street West on August 9, 2001. These buses were equipped with a Detroit Diesel 6V71N engine and no air conditioning. The last of the NFI D40 buses was retired in March 2009, with this bus being retired in January 2008.
	6482 was a 1989 New Flyer D40, seen on Bloor Street West, about to turn onto Islington Avenue on August 9, 2001. This bus was retired in March 2008.
	6619 was a 1990 New Flyer D40, seen at Finch Station in North York on Nov. 22, 2002. These buses were equipped with Cummins L10 engines and a rear-mounted AC units. Because of premature structural wear, these buses were all withdrawn by June 2004.
	9392 was a 1991 Orion 05.501 CNG, seen at the Westwood Mall in Malton on Nov. 22, 2002. These CNG vehicles were the only Orion V buses purchased by the TTC that were not equipped with air conditioning. This bus, along with all the 9300-series buses, was retired in March 2005.
	6664 is a 1991 Orion 05.501 diesel, seen leaving Kennedy Station on Sept. 3, 2003. These buses were the first buses intended for regular service to be purchased with air conditioning, though in 1981 the TTC purchased some air-conditioned Flyer D901 buses for its Gray Coach routes, which were later used for sightseeing service. The TTC began withdrawing these buses from service in late 2007 and the last bus of the series, 6734, was retired in April 2010. This particular bus was withdrawn from in April 2009.
	7017 is a 1996 Orion 05.501 diesel, spotted loading riders at Finch Station on January 30, 2010. This was the first series of buses purchased by the TTC to be equipped with wheelchair lifts, along with blue express lights next to the destination sign that are used to indicate that the bus is accessible.
	7028 is another 1996 Orion V diesel, seen laying up at Finch Station on January 30, 2010.
	7039 was spotted leaving Finch Station on October 15, 2007.
	7070 is shown waiting to enter service at Finch Station on August 9, 2001.
	7092 was spotted laying up at Finch Station on Nov. 22, 2002.
	7099 was seen on Yonge Street at Finch Avenue on January 30, 2010. With the addition of bicycle racks to the Orion V buses, the main fleet number on the front of the bus was obscured and so the TTC added extra fleet numbers on both sides of the destination sign.
	7122 is shown laying up at Finch Station waiting to resume service on January 30, 2010.
	9405 is a 1996 Orion 05.501 CNG, seen leaving Finch Station behind a GM New Look on August 9, 2001. By the end of February 2007, all these buses were converted to diesel as part of their mid-life rebuild. 9405 was converted in October 2006.
	9421 is another 1996 Orion V CNG, shown laying up at Finch Station on Nov. 22, 2002. This bus was converted to diesel in April 2006.
	9238 is a 1998 Orion VI CNG, seen waiting for riders at Wilson Station on Nov. 22, 2002. The first full-length low-floor buses purchased by the TTC, they were used on lighter routes as they were ill-suited for the crowds on some of the primary routes. The TTC has retired all these buses since they could not be converted to diesel fuel, in addition to structural problems, and 9238 was withdrawn in May 2006.
	7224 is a 1998 NovaBus RTS, seen on Front Street West near the Union Station on August 8, 2001.
	7228 is another 1998 RTS, shown laying up with 7131 at Finch Station on Dec. 30, 2004.
	7303 is a 1999 New Flyer D40LF, shown boarding passengers at Kipling Station on Sept. 4, 2006.
	7304 is another 1999 NFI D40LF, spotted at Kipling Station on September 4, 2006.
	7314 was spotted leaving Finch Station on August 9, 2001.
	7317 is shown waiting for riders at Kipling Station on Sept. 4, 2006.
	7464 is a 2003 Orion 07.501 spotted on Hoskin Avenue at Queen’s Park Crescent West in downtown Toronto on Sept. 3, 2006.
	7488 is another 2003 Orion VII, shown leaving Finch Station in North York on Oct. 15, 2007. This bus was part of orders for nearly 800 diesel and hybrid buses over several years.
	7550 is a 2004 Orion VII, spotted laying up at Kennedy Station in Scarborough on September 3, 2006.
	7555 is another 2004 Orion VII, seen waiting to resume service at Kennedy Station on September 6, 2009.
	7584 is shown waiting to enter service at Finch Station on Dec. 30, 2004. The TTC’s Orion VII diesel buses were ordered as follows: 7400 was delivered in late 2002, 7401 to 7499 were delivered in 2003, 7500 to 7619 in 2004, 7620 to 7881 in 2005, 7900 to 7979 in 2006, and 8000 to 8099 in 2007.
	7584 was spotted again on Finch Avenue in North York later the same day on Dec. 30, 2004.
	7909 is a 2006 Orion VII, shown on Yorkdale Road near the Yorkdale Mall on Sept. 3, 2007.
	7912 is another 2006 Orion VII, seen on Yorkdale Road near Yorkdale Station on Sept. 3, 2007. Yorkdale Station does not have its own bus terminal and thus riders need a paper transfer or Metropass to switch to local routes.
	7950 was spotted on Yorkdale Road on Sept. 3, 2007.
	1039 is a 2006 Orion VII hybrid, the first diesel-electric hybrid buses in Ontario. This photo was taken on Sept. 3, 2007, just after the bus had unloaded its riders at Downsview Station. This is part of an order of 150 buses, numbered from 1000 to 1149.
	1039 was spotted again at Downsview Station later on Sept. 3, 2007. These buses use BAE Hybridrive series hybrid engines, unlike the New Flyer and NovaBus hybrids which use parallel hybrid systems. However, the lead-acid batteries used in these buese have had problems, and future hybrid bus orders will use lithium-ion batteries.
	1053 is another 2006 Orion VII hybrid, spotted boarding passengers at Kipling Station in Etobicoke on Sept. 4, 2006.
	1053 was seen again at Finch Station in North York on Oct. 15, 2007.
	1133 is shown at Finch Station on Oct. 15, 2007.
	8018 is a 2007 Orion VII, spotted leaving Finch Station and heading onto Bishop Avenue on Oct. 15, 2007.
	1218 is a 2008 Orion 07.501 Next Generation hybrid bus, shown on Yonge Street near Finch Station on January 30, 2010.
	1230 is another 2008 Orion VII NG hybrid, shown laying up at Finch Station on January 30, 2010.
	1249 was spotted waiting for riders at Finch Station on January 30, 2010.
	1254 is a 2007 Orion VII NG hybrid, spotted at the Scarborough Town Centre on Oct. 9, 2008.
	1276 is a 2008 Orion VII NG HEV bus, shown arriving at the Scarborough Town Centre terminal on Oct. 9, 2008.
	1285 is seen at the Scarborough Town Centre on Oct. 9, 2008. The Orion VII Next Generation buses are being delivered in several batches, with hybrids 1200 to 1423 being delivered in 2007 and 2008, 1500 to 1689 between 2008 and 2009, and 1700 to 1829 being delivered in 2009, while conventional diesel buses 8100 to 8219 are on order to be delivered in 2010.
	1299 was spotted at the Scarborough Town Centre on Oct. 9, 2008.
	1306 is a 2007 Orion VII NG hybrid, seen on Finch Avenue East near Yonge Street on January 30, 2010.
	1512 is a 2008 Orion VII NG hybrid, part of the TTC’s second order for the buses. It is seen on Queen’s Park Crescent near the Ontario Legislature on September 6, 2009.
	1544 is shown on Avenue Road in front of the Royal Ontario Museum on September 6, 2009.
	1626 is shown at the Scarborough Town Centre on Oct. 9, 2008. Between 2006 and 2008, Orion built its hybrid buses with sealed lead-acid batteries enclosed in a squared housing, but because of reliability problems Orion switched to lithium-ion batteries in 2008. These buses can be distinguished by more rounded enclosures. The TTC is replacing the batteries on its older hybrid buses with lithium-ion batteries in the rounded housing used by Orion.
	1674 was spotted waiting for passengers at Finch Station on January 30, 2010.
	Later on in the day, 1674 was seen again laying up on Yonge Street near Davisville Station and the other end of its route. This photo was also taken on January 30, 2010.
	1735 is a 2009 Orion VII NG hybrid, shown boarding riders are Kennedy Station on September 30, 2009. The 2009 hybrid buses were the first to be delivered with lithium-ion batteries and have always had the rounded housing on the roof of the bus.

Streetcars

	4022 is a 1979 CLRV streetcar, shown on Dundas Street at Yonge Street in downtown Toronto on Sept. 3, 2006. These streetcars were built by Hawker-Siddeley of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and delivered between 1979 and 1981.
	4056 is another 1979 CLRV streetcar, seen on Queen’s Quay near Spadina Avenue on August 7, 2001. (Thumbnail only; no enlarged photo available)
	4073 is a 1980 CLRV, spotted on King Street on Sept. 3, 2006.
	4112 is another 1980 CLRV, shown loading riders on Dundas Street on Sept. 3, 2006.
	4146 is a 1981 CLRV streetcar, spotted on Dundas Street in downtown Toronto on Sept. 3, 2006.
	4151 is another 1981 CLRV, seen on Carlton Street near Maple Leaf Gardens on August 9, 2001.
	4227 is a 1988 ALRV articulated streetcar, shown resting at the Long Branch loop in Etobicoke on Sept. 4, 2006. These streetcars were built by Canadian Car Rail Division of Kingston, Ontario, and the Urban Transit Development Corp. of Thunder Bay, Ont, and delivered in 1988 and 1989.
	4233 is another 1988 ALRV streetcar, seen on Queen Street outside the Eaton Centre on August 9, 2001.
	4237 is a 1988 ALRV, seen on Queen Street near St. Michael’s Hospital on Sept. 3, 2006.
	4237 was spotted again on Queen Street at Yonge Street in downtown Toronto on Sept. 3, 2006.
	4250 is shown on Queen Street West crossing University Avenue on September 6, 2009.

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