TTC passengers were thrown yet another curveball on Thursday afternoon when a streetcar derailed at King Street East and Church, backing up streetcar traffic and thrusting the already-disrupted downtown transit network deeper into chaos.

The transit agency issued a press release announcing that the out-of-service streetcar derailed shortly before 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 11.

A TTC streetcar derailed in the heart of downtown Toronto on Thursday 🚆 #Toronto #TTC pic.twitter.com/4lntGqFF44

— blogTO (@blogTO) May 12, 2023

Photos and videos from the scene show a long line of streetcars queued behind the derailed vehicle, backing up both eastbound and westbound transit traffic along the busy 504 King route.

During the closure, the 504 King streetcar was replaced with shuttle buses, while the 501B Queen route diverted via Bay, Adelaide, and Church streets.

By the Thursday evening rush hour, TTC crews were still working to re-rail the streetcar, utilizing special equipment to lift the streetcar back onto the tracks and clear the intersection.

The TTC states that it expected the operation to be complete by 6:30 p.m.Thursday, and as of Friday morning, everything is back to regular operation.

This latest inconvenience comes at the dawn of a difficult period for the city's streetcar network, with long-term disruptions of the nearby 501 Queen route planned to last for over four years to accommodate Ontario Line construction.