The TTC officially discontinued the services of the Scarborough RT (SRT) on Thursday after a derailment in July ultimately led to the line’s premature decommissioning.
Its last journey was planned for Nov.19, over 38 years after its first, but an ongoing investigation into what caused the July 24 derailment that sent five people to hospital is yet to produce any definitive conclusions.
Having failed to re-open since the derailment “the decision has been made to permanently close the line and begin to implement elements of the replacement plan,” the TTC said in a news release on Thursday, marking an abrupt end to a transit line that transformed the city.
TTCriders, a public transit advocacy group, held a rally and ‘memorial’ on Thursday evening in protest of the line’s early closure and the slew of disruptions it would cause for its regular users.
READ MORE:Transit advocacy group to hold Scarborough RT ‘funeral’ and rally
But the TTC assured its customers that contingency plans will be set in place.
“Starting Aug. 22, TTC contractors, working with the City of Toronto Transportation Services department, began the installation of temporary road markings and signage to establish bus-only lanes. One curb lane southbound on Midland Ave. and one northbound on Kennedy Rd between Eglinton Ave. and Ellesmere Rd will be created. The new shuttle routing will be implemented this coming weekend (August 26).” the TTC said.
The Scarborough RT opened in March 1985, promising a revolutionary feat in engineering that would connect a rapidly growing Scarborough with the downtown core.
Courtesy: (City of Toronto/ Fonds 16, Series 836, Sub-series 1, File 33, Item 3.)
The line was approved for construction in January 1977 and for many, came to symbolize a turning point in the evolution of Toronto.
To meet the demands of significant population growth projected for Scarborough, plans to open stations at Lawrence, Ellesmere, Midland, Scarborough Town Centre, and McCowan went ahead.
View looking east through Kennedy Station, 1983 (Courtesy: City Of Toronto/ Fonds 16, Series 1604, File 4183, Item 830590-1)
Unlike the street car system the RT line would run separate from street traffic on its own specially constructed route partially elevated above ground. Furthermore, “its intermediate Capacity Transit System (ICTS) cars would use a novel method of power and propulsion.” Making it the “first instance in North America of a computer-controlled automatic train operation,” according to city archives.
“In 1982, the TTC held a naming contest for the new line. The winning suggestion, out of 5600 entries, was the Scarborough RT, submitted by Alvin Frost,” the city said.
In its early years, the SRT operated two-car trains, but due to growing demand, by the 1990s was operating four-car trains at all times.
Many Toronto residents were planning to ride the SRT during its final journey on Nov. 19.
“This was my daily commute! Was planning to take it one last time before it closed but it’s too late now, “ one Twitter user wrote.
“Unfortunately it is what it is. Line 3 is a mess, and it is about time to close it. Hopefully we could leave this in the past and finally look forward to next year when Line 5 and Line 6 will finally open,” another user said.
