4 Bombardier streetcars out of service indefinitely after flooding damage

The TTC has taken four of its new Bombardier streetcars out of service after the vehicles suffered extensive damage during a massive August rain storm.

The transit agency says the damage occurred on Aug. 7 after a "chute of water" burst open a manhole cover in an underpass on King Street West, near Sudbury Street,halting traffic and trapping the streetcars in rising flood water.

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The water eventually "short circuited critical systems" on board the vehicles, the TTC said.

"The fact that a car ahead of the streetcar was also disabled meant that our streetcar was trapped while water levels continued to rise," said TTC spokesperson Stuart Green.

"Thankfully, our operators did all the right things in terms of getting passengers to safety in extremely difficult circumstances."

TheTTCsays it has revised its extreme weather protocols as a result of the flooding. It will now try to avoid areas that are prone to flash flooding during heavy rainfalls.

In total, nine of the new Bombardier streetcars were damaged, though five of them have been repaired and put back in service.

Vehicles to be repaired by Bombardier

Two of the heavily damaged vehicles will be sent to a Bombardier facility in New York state for major cleaning, repairs and parts replacements, the TTC confirmed.

Two others will be repaired by Bombardier at the TTC's Leslie Barns facility in the coming months.

Green said it is not yet clear when any of those four vehicles will return to service, since the extent of the damage has not yet been determined.The transit agency doesn't expect any impact on its overall service while the vehicles are being repaired.

"The repairs to the four cars requiring Bombardier's assistance are being done under contract and we do have insurance for situations like this," Green added.