TTC awards $1.5B contract to modernize Line 2 with new signalling system

The TTC awarded Hitachi Rail Canada a contract Wednesday to install a new Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth, marking the subway's biggest modernization in decades.

CBTC automatically controls train speed and spacing, allowing the TTC to monitor trains with far greater precision. The technology enables trains to operate closer together, reducing headways and increasing the number of trains running per hour. The upgrade will mean more frequent service, fewer signal-related delays, and a more resilient line connecting Etobicoke, downtown, and Scarborough.

Design and engineering work continues through 2028, with installation occurring in phases to minimize service impacts. Full completion is scheduled for 2037. The same CBTC technology already operates on Line 1, where it has improved reliability and reduced signal-related disruptions.

Mayor Olivia Chow said the upgrade supports the city's growth and will support 200 local jobs during construction. TTC Chair Jamaal Myers called the investment essential for a line that carries hundreds of thousands of riders daily. "The implementation of CBTC, together with the new subway trains coming to Line 2, will ensure the TTC can continue providing safe, reliable and efficient service for years to come," Myers said.

The modernization is part of the TTC's long-term plan to overhaul Line 2's aging infrastructure and prepare the route for a new fleet of subway trains arriving later this decade.