TTC’s new streetcar facility to enter service this Sunday

This Sun., Nov. 22, the TTC’s new low-floor streetcars will begin operating out of Leslie Barns, the TTC’s new streetcar facility at the corner of Leslie St. and Lake Shore Blvd. E.  The Barns is still under construction and won’t be fully occupied by the TTC until early next year.

The state-of-art 26,000 square metre facility has 30 streetcar service bays and will provide maintenance for the entire fleet of 204 new streetcars. It will also store and dispatch 100 new streetcars daily. The TTC currently has two streetcar carhouses. Roncesvalles Carhouse will store 60 new streetcars and Russell Carhouse will store 40 vehicles.

Leslie Barns has one of the largest green roofs in Toronto and an on-site storm water management pond. The facility will also be the site for all streetcar operator and maintenance training.

In addition to track construction on Leslie St., which includes specially designed tracks to minimize noise and vibration, extensive utility upgrades and the replacement of century-old watermains and sewers were also completed during construction. Streetscaping improvements on Leslie St. and Queen St. E. include new streetlights and wider sidewalks, plantings and landscaping around the Barns and along Leslie and Queens Sts., and will be complete next spring.

"The TTC has been eagerly anticipating the opening and operation of Leslie Barns. It is a much-needed facility that will service and store our new streetcars for years to come,” said TTC Chair Josh Colle. “I would personally like to thank all the local residents who have been patiently dealing with the construction of the facility and tracks surrounding their homes and businesses."
An official opening of Leslie Barns will take place in early 2016.

This short video gives viewers a sense of what’s inside the new Leslie Barns.
https://youtu.be/4ci9RKmG9OY