Streetcar Procurement and Implementation
Five new low-floor, accessible streetcars are operating very reliably in revenue service on the 509 Harbourfront and 510 Spadina routes.
Transfer of technology and manufacturing from Europe to North America, including Mexico, has led to quality, design, and process issues that have caused significant delays in new car shipments from the Carbuilder.
The TTC continues to work with Bombardier to expedite deliveries while ensuring that all quality and safety objectives are met. The most recent car (4406) began customer service on April 1, 2015. Final acceptance of the next vehicle (4407) is anticipated for mid-May 2015. The following vehicle (4408) is undergoing in-plant testing for delivery. Production in Thunder Bay continues to be impacted beyond car 4408 due to the supply chain and production issues.
Bombardier is currently more than 50 new streetcars behind schedule from the approved contract schedule. The TTC received a proposed recovery schedule from Bombardier on February 19, 2015. Further to discussions with TTC staff, a revised schedule was issued April 30, 2015. Bombardier has committed to completing the delivery of 30 new streetcars by year end 2015, and completion of the base contract order of 204 new streetcars by 2019.
At the request of TTC staff, Bombardier has been submitting detailed documentation to support their accelerated schedule and recovery plan. The information requested includes a detailed production schedule, quality control improvement initiatives, commitments in writing from parts suppliers, and details on production equipment improvements for both of their plants in Thunder Bay and Mexico. The proposed revised schedule will be considered upon acceptance of the recovery plan and negotiation of commercial terms in accordance with the contract.
A detailed report on the history of the contract with Bombardier, present status, and moving forward plans will be the subject of a future TTC Board report.