From 5 a.m. Friday, November 1 until 2 a.m. Sunday, November 24, the TTC is temporarily restoring streetcar service along the entire 509 Harbourfront route between Union Station and Exhibition Loop.

Service along the 509 Harbourfront route is a key component of the TTC’s plans to provide extra service during Taylor Swift’s six Eras Tour concerts in the Rogers Centre and the pre-concert Taylgate’24 events in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. It’s adding etra service for the Taylor Swift events from Thursday, November 14 until Saturday, November 16 and from Thursday, November 21 until Saturday, November 23.

As part of its network-wide program, the TTC has been modernizing its streetcar infrastructure

• on Fleet Street between Strachan Avenue and Bathurst Street and
• on Queens Quay West between Bathurst and Bay streets.

The transit agency says that this project is “vital to provide streetcar service for the long-term future.” In a news release, it explains that the work zone spans almost three kilometres between Strachan Avenue and the Bay streetcar tunnel. The project involves replacing and reconfiguring overhead wires and upgrading the underground power systems on the corridor.

The TTC has been completing the nearly four-month project in phases, by changing streetcar service and using buses to replace the cars. By early next year, streetcars along Fleet and Queens Quay will use a better pantograph overhead contact system that, the TTC says, is fully compatible with its “modern and growing fleet, enhancing the reliability of service along the waterfront. This work is part of a larger power upgrade program that includes recent projects on Spadina and St. Clair avenues.”

During phase 1, which started Tuesday, September 3, crews worked on Queens Quay West between Lower Spadina Avenue and the tunnel to upgrade the overhead and complete underground work. During this phase, the TTC also performed critical inspections and replaced aging infrastructure to support future service.

During phase 2, which started Sunday, October 6, crews worked

• on Queens Quay West between Bathurst Street and Lower Spadina Avenue and
• on Bathurst Street between Fleet Street and Queens Quay West.

That day, the TTC restored partial streetcar service along the 509 Harbourfront route between Spadina / Queens Quay Loop and Union Station.

The TTC has extending buses along this route, originally to replace route 509 cars between Exhibition Loop and Lower Spadina Avenue, and now to supplement route 509 service:

• 510 Spadina.