New TTC streetcars plagued by a host of problems

The TTC was forced to reject several new streetcars due to serious manufacturing defects, according to the Toronto Star. Dodgy laminate and incorrectly sized under-frames meant there were significant delays getting the first in the fleet of 204 vehicles on Toronto's streets.

The problems were so bad, the Star writes, that CEO Andy Byford was concerned the vehicles would quickly break down if pushed into service. Rivets used to hold the walls to the frame in lieu of correctly fitting parts were a particular concern. Faulty wiring and loose screws were also noticed by the TTC after delivery, but those issues were rectified without pulling streetcars off the road.

Bombardier is running way behind its original delivery schedule. There were supposed to be 50 new, low-floor streetcars on the road by now, but due to the issues that have been traced to a Mexican factory and a two-month strike at the Thunder Bay plant, only five are up and running.

Byford is says he's still confident, however, that the $1.2 billion will be fulfilled on schedule by the end of 2019.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Tom Ryaboi.