| Toronto Rocket | |
|---|---|
TTC's new Toronto Rocket subway train at St. George station |
|
| In service | 2011–present (starting July 21, 2011) |
| Manufacturer | Bombardier Transportation |
| Built at | Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| Family name | Movia |
| Replaced | H4, H5, H6 (phase out occurring as new trains enter service) |
| Constructed | 2008–present |
| Number under construction | 70 six-car trains ordered[1][2] 57 trains yet to be delivered |
| Number built | 13 trains (5381-5506) |
| Number in service | up to 11 trains available as of late December 2011 (estimated) |
| Formation | 6-car permanently mated articulated sets |
| Fleet numbers | 5381-6076[3] |
| Capacity | 60-68 (seated/per car)[1] 1100 (full train, crush load)[4] |
| Operator | Toronto Transit Commission |
| Depot(s) | Wilson Subway Yard |
| Line(s) served | ■ Yonge–University–Spadina line |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | stainless steel[5] |
| Car length | 23.190 m (76.08 ft) (6-car train length)[3] |
| Height | 3.137 m (10.29 ft)[3] |
| Doors | 8 sets (4 sets per side) per car |
| Articulated sections | 6 |
| Maximum speed | 88 km/h (55 mph)[3] |
| Weight | 205,000 kg (202 long tons; 226 short tons) (per trainset); 34,167 kg (33.627 long tons; 37.663 short tons) per car[3] |
| Traction system | Bombardier MITRAC |
| Power supply | 600 VDC (3rd Rail), 120/208 VAC Battery Auxiliary |
| Electric system(s) | 600 VDC |
| Safety system(s) | Emergency evacuation ramps at each end of trainset |
| Gauge | 1,495 mm (4 ft 10 7⁄8 in) |
The Toronto Rocket, also known as the TR, is the newest model of rapid transit trains used on the Toronto subway system. The name "Toronto Rocket" was chosen through a contest open to the public, prior to which the train was designated under the production name as T35A08.[6][7] The new trains are the first and currently the only rapid transit trains in Toronto and for any public transit system with rapid transit trains in North America to feature a "six-car fixed" permanently-mated subway train with full-open articulated gangways, a feature similar to that used on the Articulated Light Rail Vehicle streetcar fleet. They are owned and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The trains are built by Bombardier Transportation in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, with design based on the T-series (T1) trains and Bombardier's Movia trains. The first train set (5411-5416) entered revenue service on July 21, 2011.[8]
The new trains operate exclusively on the Yonge–University–Spadina (Y-U-S) line and are slated to decommission the system's H-series (H4, H5, H6) subway cars, the oldest model of trains used on the system since the 1970s. To offset the cost of the new subway trains, the TTC announced in September 2011 that it will sell the later lines of the H-series (H5 and H6) trains to Eko Rail in Lagos, Nigeria.[9][10] The oldest lines of the H-series (H4) trains (which are operating on the Bloor–Danforth line) are to be scrapped, while the remaining T-series trains on the Y-U-S line will be allocated to the Bloor–Danforth and Sheppard lines.
Contents |
The new trains were expected to be delivered starting in late 2009 and start passenger service in early 2010. However, delivery was delayed after the bankruptcy of a key part manufacturer, Curtis Doors, which was to make door components for Bombardier and the TTC.[4][11][12]
On May 6, 2010, the TTC voted to exercise a contract option with Bombardier to acquire 31 additional new "six-car fixed" train sets to allow the retirement of the entire H-series subway fleet and have enough new subway trains in place for the opening of the Spadina Subway Extension.[2][13]
On October 1, 2010, the first new train set (5391-5396) was delivered to Wilson Yard and was unveiled at Downsview station on October 14, 2010.[14]
In early May 2011, main line testing and operator training began with the trains out of service, during revenue hours.[15] The TTC held an open house (via Doors Open Toronto) at Davisville station on May 29, 2011, where passengers were able to tour the new train.[16]
The first train set entered revenue service on July 21, 2011. As of late December 2011, there are approximately up to 10 or 11 new trains available for revenue operation. Delivery of new 70 "six-car fixed" train sets (420 cars) is anticipated to be finalized by the end of 2013.[17]
The new Toronto Rocket trains include several added new features that make the trains more accessible and user-friendly for passengers, among which include:[18][19]
During the tendering process Siemens was seen a possible competitor to the Bombardier bid.[20][21] Then-councillors Karen Stintz, Denzil Minnan-Wong, and Rob Ford, among others were opposed to sole-sourcing the contract to Bombardier. They alleged that many sole-source advocates had union ties and were thus not interested in getting the best financial deal available to the City.[22]
In late September 2011, it was reported that some special needs passengers armed with mobility devices were experiencing difficulties while entering and/or exiting the new subway trains. TTC officials noted that this could either be due to the train sitting too high in relation to the level of the platform and could be the result of the train’s door threshold, which is not parallel with the platform and/or the number of passengers riding onboard the new subway train and have suggested that they were actively looking for ways to solve the problem.[23]
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Toronto_Rocket_(Toronto_subway_car) Toronto Rocket] at Wikimedia Commons
|
||||||||