Line 3 Scarborough

Line 3 Scarborough
An S-series train at the Line 3 platform of Kennedy station
Overview
StatusClosed
OwnerToronto Transit Commission
LocaleToronto, Ontario, Canada
Termini
Stations6
WebsiteOfficial route page
Service
TypeLight rapid transit
SystemToronto subway
Operator(s)Toronto Transit Commission
Depot(s)McCowan Yard
Rolling stockS series
History
OpenedMarch 22, 1985 (1985-03-22)
ClosedJuly 24, 2023 (2023-07-24)
Technical
Line length6.4 km (4.0 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification600 V DC fifth rail
SignallingThales SelTrac CBTC
Route map
Line 3 Scarborough highlighted in blue
McCowan
Scarborough Centre
Midland
Ellesmere
Lawrence East
Kennedy
TTC
GO

Line 3 Scarborough, originally known as Scarborough RT (the SRT), was a medium-capacity rapid transit line that was part of the Toronto subway system of the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The line ran entirely within the eastern district of Scarborough, encompassing six stations and 6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi) of mostly elevated track. It was connected with Line 2 Bloor–Danforth at its southwestern terminus, Kennedy, and terminated in the northeast at McCowan. Until its closure in July 2023, the system had a ridership of 4,720,000 per year.

The rolling stock of Line 3 consisted of smaller, semi-automated, medium-capacity trains, rather than the larger heavy-rail subway trains used on other lines in the system. Designated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) as the S series, these were Intermediate Capacity Transit System (ICTS) Mark I trains built by the Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC). The trains were powered by linear induction motors and operated on 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge tracks, unlike the heavy-rail subway lines and the Toronto streetcar system, which use the unique 1,495 mm (4 ft 10+78 in) Toronto gauge.

The line remained mostly unchanged from its opening in 1985 and contained two of the least-used stations in the system. Beginning in the late 2000s, Toronto City Council debated over competing plans to revitalize and expand the line, to convert its right-of-way for use by modern light rail vehicles, or to close the line and extend Line 2 Bloor–Danforth farther into Scarborough along a different route. In 2013, the council decided on a three-station extension of Line 2 to replace Line 3 along a different route. In 2016, in order to free up funds for another transit project, the city reduced the extension to include only one station, which was set to be completed by 2026. In 2019, Progressive Conservative premier Doug Ford reinstated the three-station Scarborough subway extension and committed to completing it by 2030, with all construction costs to be borne by the province.

The TTC planned for Line 3 to cease operations in November 2023, with shuttle buses running in place of Line 3 train service until the Line 2 Bloor–Danforth subway extension to the existing Scarborough Centre station opened for service, which was estimated to be in 2030. However, a train derailment in July 2023 resulted in the line permanently closing four months ahead of schedule. By March 2023, a plan existed to convert a portion of the existing right-of-way between Kennedy and Ellesmere stations into a bus right-of-way, including an additional stop at Mooregate Avenue / Tara Avenue, located near a pedestrian bridge that spans over the former Line 3 and GO Transit's Stouffville line between Eglinton Avenue and Lawrence Avenue. In 2023, the busway was targeted for completion by 2025.