The Scarborough RT

The Scarborough RT began as a planned streetcar/LRT extension, but the Ontario provincial government — through its Urban Transportation Development Corporation — pushed the TTC to instead adopt Intermediate Capacity Transit System (ICTS) technology, using linear-induction-motor vehicles, as a demonstration project for a made-in-Ontario transit export product. The result was TTC Line 3, mechanically related to the trains later exported to Vancouver's SkyTrain and the Detroit People Mover.

Decline and closure

Line 3 opened March 24, 1985, offering fast, semi-automated service in its early years. But because the ICTS platform was proprietary and had few other adopters, sourcing replacement parts became increasingly difficult and costly as the fleet aged. In February 2021, TTC staff learned that a third major overhaul of the fleet could cost roughly $522 million with no guarantee of reliability, and concluded closure was the only realistic option. A derailment just south of Lawrence East station on July 24, 2023 forced an immediate, permanent closure ahead of the already-planned retirement date.

Sources

• Transit Toronto — The Rise and Fall of the Scarborough RT
• Rail Fans Canada — TTC Line 3 (Scarborough RT) (1985–2023)

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