Here's what the next TTC subway trains will look like

The next generation of TTC subway trains was finally revealed to the public on Thursday.

The province announced that a modern fleet of 55 brand-new subway trains will replace the aging T-series rolling stock that has served on the Line 2 Bloor-Danforth since the mid-1990s.

Flashy concept renderings offer a first glimpse at these new trains after years of rampant speculation about what the new fleet would look like.

Mayor Olivia Chow hailed the announcement as "a major boost for the people who ride [Line 2] every day," and hailed the provincial and federal governments "for helping keep transit reliable for Torontonians."

"These new trains mean shorter waits, more reliable trips, and better connections across the city," added Chow.

New trains will be manufactured by Alstom at its Thunder Bay facility, which Minister of Transportation, Prabmeet Sarkaria, hails as part of the provincial government's "commitment to protect Ontario, both by ensuring Ontario tax dollars support Ontario workers and by strengthening and supporting the province's manufacturing sector."

According to the province, the manufacturing of these futuristic new trains will support over 900 jobs. Hundreds of these jobs will be at Alstom facilities spread across the province, including 240 in Thunder Bay, 30 in Kingston and 15 in Toronto.

In addition to local manufacturing, the provincial and federal governments are working to ensure that the new trains are built using 55 per cent Canadian-sourced content — a 30 per cent leap over initial plans.

The province had already committed to over $758 million in funding for the new trains in 2023 under the condition that the contribution was matched at the federal level, which was indeed provided the following November. Thanks to the increase in Canadian content that will be incorporated into trains, that funding has since increased to $1 billion from both the provincial and federal governments.

And the timing of the new announcement couldn't come any sooner, as Line 2 is already in the process of a massive expansion into Scarborough, with ridership levels across the 26-kilometre route expected to soar to 661,000 by 2041.