Toronto streetcar system facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Toronto streetcar system
Toronto streetcar in May 2009.
Info
Locale	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Transit type	Streetcar
Number of lines	11
Number of stations	685 stops
Daily ridership	292,100 (avg. weekday, Q4 2016)
Operation
Began operation	1861 (electric lines since 1892)
Operator(s)	Toronto Transit Commission
Technical
System length	83 km (52 mi)
Track gauge	4 ft 10 7⁄8 in (1,495 mm) Toronto gauge
Minimum radius of curvature	36 ft 0 in (10,973 mm)
Electrification	Overhead lines, 600 V DC
Route map

The Toronto streetcar system is a big network of streetcar lines in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has eleven routes and is the largest system of its kind in North and South America! It's part of Toronto's public transport, run by the Toronto Transit Commission. You can use the same ticket for streetcars, buses, and the subway.

Unlike modern light rail systems, Toronto's streetcars run right on city streets. They stop often, just like buses. Passengers wait on the sidewalk and pay their fare when they get on. There are 685 stops, and eight of them connect to the subway system. The streetcars mainly serve the downtown and waterfront areas. They help people get to and from the subway lines.

History of Toronto's Streetcars

The Toronto streetcar system has been running for a very long time. It first opened in 1861, using horse-drawn trams. Imagine horses pulling the streetcars!

From Horses to Electricity

In 1891, the Toronto Railway Company bought the system. They made a big change in 1892 by making the streetcars electric. This meant no more horses were needed. The electric streetcars were much faster and more efficient.

How Streetcars Get Power

Today, the streetcars run on about 82 km (51 mi) of tracks. They use a special track width of 1495. This is a bit different from standard train tracks. The streetcars get their power from overhead lines (wires above the street) at 600 volts of DC electricity. They use trolley poles on top of the streetcar to connect to these wires.

How Many People Ride?

The Toronto streetcar system is one of the busiest in the world. On an average weekday, more than 300,000 people ride the streetcars. Each year, about 100 million people use the system!

Images for kids

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  Horse-drawn Toronto Street Railway streetcars, 1890. By 1894, electric streetcars had replaced them.

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  Opening ceremonies for the Roger Road line in York, 1924. The TTC operated streetcars in the township.

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  Streetcar and trolleybus routes/tracks in October 1965. Plans to remove the streetcar system were announced the next year.

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  Two TTC streetcars used in the 20th century. The CLRV model to the left started service in 1979, replacing the PCC model.

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  A CLRV streetcar on route 510 Spadina. Streetcar service on Spadina Avenue returned in 1990.

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  A streetcar on a reserved track on route 512 St. Clair. Special lanes for streetcars were finished on route 512 in 2010.

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  A Flexity Outlook streetcar on its first day of service, August 31, 2014.

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  Route 504 shown at the front of a streetcar.

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  Most streetcar routes in Toronto share the road with other traffic, like when the system first started.

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  Route 509 Harbourfront is a TTC streetcar route with its own dedicated lanes.

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  Peter Witt streetcars operated by the TTC, 1925. The TTC ordered these streetcars in the early 1920s.

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  A flange rail, which is common on Toronto streetcar lines.

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  Older streetcar models like the ALRVs and CLRVs get their electricity using a trolley pole.

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  The streetcar on the left uses a pantograph, while the one on the right uses a trolley pole. The overhead wires were changed to work with pantographs starting in 2008.

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  Maintenance tracks at Roncesvalles Carhouse, one of four places where streetcars are stored and repaired.

See also

In Spanish: Tranvía de Toronto para niños