TTC customers are set to benefit from more frequent, reliable subway service on Line 2 Bloor-Danforth, thanks to a major upgrade starting this year.
The upgrade will see the installation of a modern signalling system called Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC), which will increase capacity and reduce signal-related delays.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said at a recent press conference that the TTC has awarded a contract to Hitachi Rail Canada to install the new system.
“We’re getting Toronto moving by making public transit faster for everyone,” said Chow in a statement.
The new system will automatically control speed and separation between trains, allowing train location to be monitored more accurately and trains to operate closer together, resulting in more frequent and reliable service and fewer signal-related delays.
The technology has already been in use on Line 1 Yonge-University since 2022, replacing the existing fixed-block technology.
“Line 2 connects communities from Etobicoke to Scarborough and carries hundreds of thousands of customers every day,” said TTC Chair Jamaal Myers in a statement.
The implementation of CBTC, along with new subway trains coming to Line 2, will ensure the TTC can continue providing safe, reliable, and efficient service for years to come.
Hitachi Rail will install its SelTrac CBTC system on Line 2, a technology already used on major transit systems around the world, including New York’s Flushing Line, London Underground’s Four Lines Modernization program, and Singapore’s North-South and East-West lines.
The project will begin this year with initial design and engineering-related work continuing through 2028 and being implemented in phases, with completion scheduled for 2037.
“We’re modernizing the TTC by investing in systems that increase capacity, improve reliability, enhance safety, and support a growing city,” said TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali in a statement.
“CBTC is the next evolution in signalling, enabling us to better manage trains in real time and deliver more frequent service to customers,” Lali added.
