Transit advocates mourn loss of Scarborough RT at funeral rally

Advocates dressed in black and holding candles gathered near the site of a Scarborough Rapid Transit line derailment to mourn the now-closed service on Wednesday.

The Scarborough RT, or Line 3, derailed south of Ellesmere station on July 24, sending five people to hospital with minor injuries. 

The TTC has since closed the line as it continues to investigate the cause of the derailment with the help of consultants. The transit agency has said a decision about resuming service will be made after the investigation is completed. 

The Scarborough RT had been scheduled to be decommissioned on Nov. 19, 2023. Transit users will use shuttle buses until the Scarborough subway extension is completed.

At the rally, organized by the advocacy group TTCriders, speakers spoke about the need for better transit in Scarborough. Near the podium at one point, there was a tombstone and cardboard boxes painted blue to represent the derailed train. 

"We're out here because we're mourning the loss of a dear friend, the SRT," Zain Khurram, spokesperson for TTCriders, told CBC Toronto before the rally near Ellesmere station.

"Line 3 been with us through thick and thin. It's run for 35 years, but a few weeks ago it derailed unexpectedly and now we have this vigil going on because we want to launch an investigation into why this happened. It shouldn't have happened in the first place."

Kevin Rupasinghe, a community leader in Scarborough, said making priority bus lanes on the road and converting the RT tracks into a busway need to be priorities for the city.

"There's 35,000 people a day who depend on the RT. They cannot be left behind on shuttle buses and mixed traffic. The last thing we need to see is more people starting to drive because the transit service here isn't working, so we need to invest in it. This needs to be a priority yesterday," he said.

NDP MPP Doly Begum for Scarborough Southwest said residents need options for public transit in Scarborough before the subway extension is completed.

"It's an emotional rally because we're seeing the end of an era when it comes to the Scarborough RT. And we also want to make sure that people here, communities here, families here, have an option to be able to get to work, get to school, get around," she said. "We don't see a solution that's been proposed by the government."

Begum said lots of people, especially young people, feel abandoned by the Ontario government because the shuttle buses aren't enough and investment in public transit is needed now.

In a statement provided to CBC, the ministry of transportation says Metrolinx is working hard to deliver the Scarborough Subway Extension in a timely manner.

In a news release, TTCriders called for the following measures:

• Immediate installation of approved bus-only lanes and traffic signal priority for shuttle buses.
• Provincial funding for free GO-TTC transfers and more service on the GO network, especially on the Stouffville corridor.
• Provincial funding and fast-tracking of a busway in the decommissioned RT corridor, which will save 10 minutes in each direction compared to shuttle buses.
• An independent investigation and report on unfunded TTC maintenance needs.
• Reversal of TTC service cuts. 

TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said there is no update on the investigation into the derailment. He added that installation of approved bus-only lanes is already underway on Midland Avenue and Kennedy Road.

"We have committed to increasing service where it is most needed as soon as we are able as funding becomes available," he said in an email on Wednesday.