The TTC has advised that today’s cold weather is again impacting streetcar service this morning. Buses will replace the cars that usually operate along the 502 Downtowner and 503 Kingston Rd routes. (Streetcars continue to serve the 511 Bathurst route today.)

Replacing the cars with buses along these routes frees streetcars to drop off or pick up passengers along the TTC’s busier car routes. The TTC may use even more buses to supplement streetcar service along other routes, where necessary. (It normally operates about 200 streetcars during rush hours.)

The aging streetcar fleet and related equipment — older than 30 years in many cases — do not respond well to extreme cold. Moisture that builds up in the pneumatic air lines, which provide braking and operate doors, can freeze, requiring the TTC to take a streetcar out of service.