TTC installs automatic train control on Line 1, promises fewer delays

After years of work and weekend subway closures, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has finally installed automatic train control on Line 1 (the Yonge/University/Spadina line).

The TTC noted in a news release that portions of the TTC’s earlier signalling system dated back to the 1950s when the subway first opened.

The TTC described the older model as a “fixed block signalling system” where trains needed large gaps between them as they entered and exited each block.

The TTC says train speed and separation between trains are controlled automatically through a computerized “moving block” system. Operators will still drive the subway trains, but instead of running trains between fixed blocks, they can follow each train closer and resemble a rolling block.

With automatic train control on Line 1, the trains can move up to 33,000 riders an hour, up from 28,000 riders without the new signalling.

TTC CEO Rick Leary said the inauguration of automatic train control will bring improved service and reduced operating costs with “significant benefits for our customers.”

“This system will improve existing service and ensure that we can accommodate expected additional transit growth,” Leary said.

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“I want to thank our customers, local businesses, and the public for their patience and understanding as we worked towards this milestone. I also want to express my appreciation to the TTC employees who have worked tirelessly over the past few years to complete this project.”

Subway train locations will be surveyed more accurately, allowing additional trains to operate closer together.

TTC chair Jaye Robinson says this will lead to more frequent and reliable customer service and fewer signal-related delays.

“The successful completion of this project is a significant milestone for the TTC and the entire City of Toronto,” Robinson said.

The announcement was made on the same day a transit advocacy group ranked John Tory last out of Toronto mayoral candidates based on each one’s public transit promises ahead of the upcoming municipal election.

Tory said the automatic train control installation marks a significant milestone for the TTC as efforts are made to modernize the transit system.

“This technology will ensure subway trains can travel faster and more reliably, which will result in us being able to move more people across the line as quickly and efficiently as we can,” Tory said.