Editing Line 3 Scarborough (section)

== History ==
{{more citations needed|section|date=June 2018|}}
[[Image:Scarborough RT logo.svg|thumb|left|The original Scarborough RT logo (1985–2015)]]
[[Image:Kennedylowlevel.jpg|thumb|The original tiled streetcar platform can be seen at [[Kennedy station]]. This image also clearly shows the [[reaction rail]] for the linear motor between the rails, and the two inductive communications wires on either side of the plate.]]

===Proposal and construction===
In 1972, the [[Government of Ontario]] announced the [[GO-Urban]] plan to build an intermediate capacity transit system across suburban Toronto, particularly in Scarborough and Etobicoke, using the experimental [[Krauss-Maffei Transurban]]. However, [[KraussMaffei]] was forced to abandon development when the [[West Germany|West German]] federal government declined further funding.<ref>{{cite news |title=GO-Urban's bright future fades suddenly |work=Toronto Star |date=November 14, 1974}}</ref> GO-Urban then used some of the technologies from the Transurban to develop a simpler steel-wheeled version, the ICTS system.

During this period, the TTC had been working on plans to extend its own network with a series of [[Tram|streetcar]] systems using a new and greatly enlarged streetcar design, the [[Canadian Light Rail Vehicle]] (CLRV). The Ontario government, in charge of [[GO Transit]], was looking for a test site for the ICTS system and demanded that the TTC use it for one of their planned streetcar projects, selecting the Scarborough extension. The TTC initially refused to make the change, arguing it was both the wrong solution and that since the construction of the line had already commenced this would be a waste of money. However, as the Ontario government was providing 75 percent of the funding for the line, they changed their minds when the government threatened to cut the funding.

At [[Kennedy station]], there are clues revealing that it was originally built for streetcar operation; it is possible to see old low-level streetcar platforms protruding under the current high-level platforms, and the loop to turn streetcars proved too sharp for safe operation of the ICTS cars, which did not have a reason to turn around, so the loop was replaced by a single-track [[Spanish solution]]-like crossover.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://transit.toronto.on.ca/subway/5002.shtml |title=Frequently Asked Questions about Toronto's Subway and the Scarborough RT – Transit Toronto – Content |website=Transit Toronto |access-date=December 7, 2010 |archive-date=May 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515221135/http://transit.toronto.on.ca/subway/5002.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref> Ontario wanted to develop and promote its new technology, which had been designed for a proposed GO Transit urban service known as [[GO-ALRT]], first proposed in 1982. Changes to federal railway regulations had made the new system unnecessary for GO, so the government hoped to sell it to other transit services in order to recoup its investment.

===Opening and service===
[[Image:TTC UTDC ICTS Mark I 3012.jpg|thumb|left|An [[S series (Toronto subway)|S-series]] train in its original (1985–2015) livery in 2006]]
The Scarborough line was formally opened (as the Scarborough RT) to invited guests on March 22, 1985, and began revenue service on March 24, 1985.<ref>{{cite news |last1=James |first1=Royson |title=Rapid transit line hailed at opening |work=Toronto Star |date=March 23, 1985 |page=A3}}</ref> Three years after it opened, the TTC renovated its southwestern terminus at Kennedy station because the looped turnaround track, designed for uni-directional streetcars under the earlier plan and not needed for the bi-directional ICTS trains, was causing derailments; it was replaced with a single terminal track and the station was thus quasi-Spanish solution, with one side for boarding and another side for alighting, though the boarding side is also used for alighting during off-peak hours, weekends and holidays.

With the line approaching the end of its useful life,<ref name="CEO Nov 2012 Report">{{cite web |url=http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2012/November_21/Supplementary_Reports/CHIEF_EXECUTIVE_OFFI.pdf |title=Chief Executive Officer's Report – November 2012 Update |publisher=Toronto Transit Commission |date=November 21, 2012 |access-date=March 10, 2013 |archive-date=February 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222032218/http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2012/November_21/Supplementary_Reports/CHIEF_EXECUTIVE_OFFI.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> the TTC reduced the frequency of service in mid-September 2012 to reduce wear and tear on both the aging rolling stock and the infrastructure.

In 2015, the TTC started work on the cars to keep them operational until the line is replaced by another mode of rail technology. This included [[Vehicle vinyl wrap|shrink-wrapping the rolling stock with a blue vinyl finish]] to emphasize the line's colour and displaying the number 3, a linear diagram of the Scarborough line, and the TTC logo.<ref name="This is what the TTC's revamped SRT cars look like">{{cite web |title=This is what the TTC's revamped SRT cars look like |url=http://www.blogto.com/city/2015/03/this_is_what_the_ttcs_revamped_srt_cars_look_like/ |work=BlogTO |access-date=March 10, 2015 |archive-date=March 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150308174020/http://www.blogto.com/city/2015/03/this_is_what_the_ttcs_revamped_srt_cars_look_like/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The original "RT" logo was no longer featured on the trains, except when the Line 3 shrink wrap is removed but not re-applied yet. These were followed by interior upgrades, such as using coloured velour seating.

On December 13, 2016, [[Presto card|Presto]] fare gates were installed at [[Lawrence East station]], making all stations along this line Presto-enabled.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.prestocard.ca/en/about/presto-on-the-ttc|title=Presto on the TTC|access-date=March 30, 2019|archive-date=March 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330144838/https://www.prestocard.ca/en/about/presto-on-the-ttc|url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 18, 2017, the TTC awarded a $6.8-million contract to [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]] to repair corrosion damage under the floors of the [[S series (Toronto subway)|S-series]] cars. If the problem were not rectified, there would be the risk of serious structural damage to the cars. That would have prevented the cars from lasting until 2026 when the [[Line 2 Bloor–Danforth#Scarborough Subway Extension|Scarborough Subway Extension]] was originally scheduled to replace Line 3. The repair work required service to be reduced from 6 four-car trains down to 5.<ref name="TheStar-2017-04-18">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/04/18/scarborough-rt-vehicles-need-repairs-to-avoid-catastrophic-corrosion-failures.html |title=Scarborough RT vehicles need repairs to avoid 'catastrophic' corrosion failures |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first=Ben |last=Spurr |date=April 18, 2017 |access-date=April 19, 2017 |archive-date=April 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418215925/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/04/18/scarborough-rt-vehicles-need-repairs-to-avoid-catastrophic-corrosion-failures.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Closure ===
On July 24, 2023, the last car of a train on Line 3 Scarborough derailed south of Ellesmere station. There were 45 people on board, with five injuries reported.<ref name="CityNews-2023-07-25">{{Cite web |last=Casaletto |first=Lucas |date=July 25, 2023 |title=TTC's Line 3 shut down after train derailment; multiple passengers injured |url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/07/24/passengers-injured-after-ttc-train-derails-in-scarborough-line-3-srt/ |access-date=July 30, 2023 |website=toronto.citynews.ca}}</ref> The TTC closed the line while the cause of the incident was being investigated. Although the investigation and closure was expected to last several weeks, the city accelerated work to support the replacement buses.<ref name="TheStar-2023-07-27" /><ref name="TheStar-2023-08-17">{{cite news |last=Harvey |first=Lex |date=August 17, 2023 |title=TTC hunts for Scarborough solutions as RT remains out of service |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/it-s-going-to-happen-ttc-hunts-for-scarborough-solutions-as-rt-remains-out-of/article_64f97ed6-e14a-5aa3-b62c-316d240459f5.html}}</ref> On August 24, 2023, the TTC announced that the line would not reopen.<ref name="confirmed closed" /> In late September 2023, the TTC explained that bolts that held the linear induction rail to the roadbed had come loose in the July incident, causing the magnetically attracted induction rail to rise up, strike and derail the last car of the train.<ref name="TheStar-2023-09-26">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc-ceo-says-further-transit-closures-possible-after-derailment-of-ageing-srt/article_f79ea6f4-a3be-565d-a63d-be11ed39df87.html |title=TTC CEO says further transit closures possible after derailment of ageing SRT |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |date=September 26, 2023}}</ref> 

Immediately following the derailment, [[#Replacement bus service|replacement bus service]] was implemented initially by shuttle buses serving the closed stations along Line 3. On September 3, 2023, the TTC replaced the shuttle bus service with route 903 Kennedy–Scarborough Centre Express, running northbound on Kennedy Road and southbound on Midland Avenue in reserved lanes between Kennedy and Scarborough Centre stations. Unlike the shuttle service, route 903 did not serve the closed Lawrence East, Ellesmere, Midland and McCowan stations.<ref name="TTC-SRT-Future">{{cite web |url=https://www.ttc.ca/about-the-ttc/projects-and-plans/Future-of-Line-3-Scarborough |title=The future of TTC's Line 3 Scarborough (SRT) |publisher=[[Toronto Transit Commission]] |date=September 3, 2023 |access-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901021026/https://www.ttc.ca/about-the-ttc/projects-and-plans/Future-of-Line-3-Scarborough | archive-date=September 1, 2023}}</ref> On November 19, 2023, the TTC extended eight bus routes from Scarborough Centre to Kennedy station, eliminating the need to transfer to route 903 at Scarborough Centre station.<ref name="TTC-bus-replacement" /> 

On November 30, 2023, the consulting firm [[Systra]] submitted a report to the TTC that found that, prior to the derailment, maintenance procedures on Line 3 were weak or non-existent and that track inspection staff lacked experience to understand how various defects could create an operating risk.<ref name="TheStar-2024-02-22">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/alarming-reports-raise-questions-about-state-of-scarborough-rt-before-crash/article_a2b8a296-d050-11ee-99b4-179020872c36.html |title='Alarming' reports raise questions about state of Scarborough RT before crash |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |date=February 22, 2024}}</ref>

On October 4, 2024, [[EllisDon]] began work to demolish and remove the Line 3 train tracks between Eglinton Avenue and the north end of Ellesmere station in preparation for constructing a busway.<ref name="TTC-CEO-2024-10">{{cite web |url=https://cdn.ttc.ca/-/media/Project/TTC/DevProto/Documents/Home/Public-Meetings/Board/2024/October-29/1_CEO_Report_October_2024.pdf |title=Chief Executive Officer's Report – October 2024 |publisher=[[Toronto Transit Commission]] |date=October 29, 2024 |page=9 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241023235111/https://cdn.ttc.ca/-/media/Project/TTC/DevProto/Documents/Home/Public-Meetings/Board/2024/October-29/1_CEO_Report_October_2024.pdf | archive-date=October 23, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Farewell event===
A farewell event for Line 3 was hosted at [[Scarborough Centre station]] on September 23, 2023, two months after the line's closure.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Goodbye, Line 3 Scarborough RT. TTC invites public to say farewell to a Scarborough icon |url=https://www.ttc.ca/news/2023/September/TTC-invites-public-to-farewell-a-Scarborough-icon |access-date=October 10, 2023 |website=www.ttc.cahttps |language=en}}</ref> The event featured trains, food and drinks, a photo area, and posters depicting archival photos and trivia. The following are photos from the event:
<gallery>
Farewell Line 3 in Scarborough Centre Concourse-1.JPG|Farewell Line 3 booth in [[Scarborough Centre station]] concourse
Farewell Line 3 on 20230923.JPG|People taking photos during the Farewell Line 3 event on September 23, 2023
Farewell Line 3 Photo area in Scarborough Centre.JPG|Photo area in Scarborough Centre Station with a blue backdrop reading "Farewell Line 3" in various languages, as well as social media handles for [[Meta Platforms|Meta]]-owned social websites and the hashtag #TakeTheTTC
Farewell Line 3 Train in Scarborough Centre.JPG|Two [[S series (Toronto subway)|S-series trains]] stationed at each of the platforms during the farewell event
</gallery>