The T series, also known as the T-1, is the fourth series of
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...
rolling stock used in the
subway system of
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario, Canada. They were ordered by the
Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in 1992 and built in one production set between 1995 and 2001 by
Bombardier Transportation in
Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario. Its population i ...
, Ontario, Canada.
Currently based entirely out of
Greenwood Subway Yard, the T-1s are the older of the two currently active series of rolling stock on the heavy-rail lines in the Toronto subway network. Following the introduction of the newer
Toronto Rocket train sets, all T-1 trains now operate exclusively in six-car configurations on
Line 2 Bloor–Danforth. They previously operated on
Line 1 Yonge–University and in a four-car configuration on
Line 4 Sheppard until the retirement of the last remaining
H-series trains in 2014 and until the implementation of
one-person train operation on the latter in 2016.
Design advances
The T-1 cars entered service between 1995 and 2001 and became the mainstay of the TTC subway fleet. By 1999, they had replaced the older
M1s,
H1s, H2s and prototype H3s, along with some H4s, many of which had been in revenue service since the 1960s.
The T-1s had many of the same technical specifications of the H series, including the same
married pair configuration, and incorporated many of the design elements that had been refined throughout the H-series program. Each model in the H-series production run improved on the last, adding features such as a
single-handle controller for acceleration and braking,
air conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...
, a change from
camshaft to
chopper control, and
regenerative braking. The T-1 built on those advances (such as changing from a
rotary-type to a fore–aft,
joystick-type controller) while integrating new computer technology (analogous to the
New Technology Train of the
New York City Subway), creating a more modern train. The T-series cars were the first TTC cars to use
AC propulsion
AC Propulsion is a San Dimas, California, USA company founded in 1992 by Alan Cocconi, Wally Rippel, and Paul Carosa, that specializes in alternating current-based drivetrain systems for electric vehicles. It offers AC-induction traction motors. ...
, rather than
DC propulsion as used in all previous rolling stock, all of which are now retired.
Other improvements included wider entry and exit doorways,
flip-up seats for the installation of
wheelchair positions (which are now marked in blue velour to signify priority seating areas instead of the red velour used for other seats), and the removal of vertical
stanchions along the car's centre line, making them the TTC's first subway cars to be
wheelchair-accessible. The interior colour scheme consists of grey floors and walls and dark red doors and panels, unlike the simulated woodgrain panels used on the predecessor H-series cars.
Lines serviced
*
Yonge–University line (March 11, 1996 – May 27, 2015)
*
Bloor–Danforth line (2000–present)
*
Sheppard line (November 24, 2002 – October 8, 2016)
Future
The T-1s have a life expectancy that allows them to remain in service until at least 2026; however, at the end of 2019, the TTC proposed an overhaul to extend the T-1 fleet's life by 10 years.
The TTC started implementing mid-life upgrades for the fleet including
LED-type interior lighting, along with side LED
destination signs and external pre-boarding route and destination announcements. As of 2019, the TTC is in the process of installing CCTV cameras on the remaining T-1 subway fleet.
The TTC also considered upgrading the fleet to run on an
automatic train control (ATC) system, which it is in the process of installing to replace the current
wayside signaling system on Lines 1 and 4 and is expected to install on Line 2 by 2030 in conjunction with the opening of the
Scarborough subway extension. However, due to prohibitively expensive costs of such a retrofit, it is unlikely that this will happen in the near future, and the TTC plans to replace all T-1 trains with new ATC-compatible equipment instead.
In October 2022, the TTC had issued a request for proposals for new Line 2 trains similar to the Toronto Rockets, which would have replaced the T-1s. Later in June 2023, due to a lack of funding, the order was cancelled. In November 2024, the TTC secured funding to replace the T-1 trainsets. 55 replacement trains are expected to be delivered as early as 2030.
Gallery
File:Fishing under the subway.jpg, A T-1 crosses the bridge over the Humber River on its way west to Old Mill station
File:T-1 StGeorge.jpg, The T-1s feature wider doors than their predecessors.
File:TTC subway Interior.jpg, The interior of a T-1 subway car
File:Old T-1 Bogie.jpg, An old T-1 Bogie at Greenwood Yard
File:A T-1 at Greenwood Yard.jpg, A T-1 in the shops at Greenwood Yard with its rollsign set to Islington
File:TTC Line 2 T-1 Subway Departs Islington Station (2023-10-25).webm, A T-1 departs Islington station
References
External links
*
Page on the T-series carsat Transit Toronto
{{Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto rapid transit passenger equipment
Bombardier Transportation multiple units
600 V DC multiple units
Electric multiple units of Canada
Train-related introductions in 1995