TORONTO — Loose or broken bolts that held the electrified power rail in place were the cause of the derailment that led to the permanent closure of the Scarborough Rapid Transit line, according to a Toronto Transit Commission report.
The CBC reports the initial investigation into the July derailment found “failed reaction rail anchor bolts” led to the derailment. While the rail line underwent visual inspection every 72 hours, the flawed bolts would not have been detected because they were inside concrete, a TTC official told the agency’s board during a Tuesday meeting.
Five people were taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries following the July 24 incident, which saw the last car in a four-car trainset detach from the rest of the train and derail [see “Five require treatment …,” Trains News Wire, July 24, 2023]. The derailment led the TTC to prematurely shut down the line, which had already been scheduled for closure in November. Chrisanne Finnerty, the TTC’s director of commission services, said at the Tuesday meeting that addressing the problem would have required testing and inspection that would have extended beyond the planned closure date.
The TTC will share its findings with systems in Vancouver and Detroit that also use reaction rail systems, she said.
The Scarborough RT line was an orphan in the TTC system in terms of technology, using lighter-weight equipment than other Toronto subway lines. Its scheduled closure reflected plans to extend an existing subway line to serve the route, but that work is not scheduled to be completed until 2030. In the interim, the line is being replaced by expanded bus service.
Immediate question is was any sample of the bolts tested before installation? TTC needs to inform all transit systems of the problem to see if any used the same vendor. Especially bolts
Do not know Canadian tort law but once an undisclosed problem comes into knowledge there is a certain time a law suit can be filed in the USA. The injured passengers should have a good case if the bolts do test bad now. Of course, if the manufacturer is still in existence a quick bankruptcy might happen. Now if sourced from China or some other countries forget it.
The Scarborough Line is the prototype for both the Detroit People Mover and the original Vancouver Skytrain system. The “reaction rail” is the part of the Linear Induction Motor system used by those systems that is attached to the ground. The hardware on the car induces a field in the reaction rail which causes the car to move. The wheels do not supply propulsion.
The Scarborough Line is also Railroad Gauge (1435 mm) versus “Toronto Gauge” (1495 mm)
I thought those cars looked similar to the Detroit People Mover equipment.
I’ve actually riddden the Detroit People Mover. Drive 300 miles from Wisconsin to Detroit, park the car, ride DPM half a mile from the parking deck to our destination.
And I have ridden both Scarborough (to see what was there) and Vancouver (to get around). Skytrain was operational for Expo 86 (Steam Expo) and connected the Harbour part of the fair (CPR Station) with the main campus (near the CNR station). They have since expanded the system, including service to YVR Airport, but using conventional traction technology rather than LIM.
As I recall, the original Skytrain cars sound like a Tardis getting underway.