512 St. Clair Converts to Bus Operation Until Summer 2024

From September 3, 2023 until summer 2024 (the exact date is not specified), the TTC will operate buses on route 512 St. Clair during several overlapping construction projects.

Updated August 28 at 5:00 pm: A response from the TTC about the scope of work for this project has been added.

A major part of this work is the reconstruction of St. Clair West Station Loop.

All transfers between surface routes and the subway will occur on street, and the following route changes will occur:

The chart below shows the many projects affecting St. Clair in the coming year.

The overall timelines are shown in the chart below.

Within St. Clair West Station, the loop will be rebuilt in two stages as shown below.

Concrete and track repairs will occur at various locations along the route including at Bathurst, Vaughan and in Oakwood Loop. Track lubricators will be added at Oakwood and Earlscourt Loops to reduce wheel squeal.

The overhead power system along the entire route will be upgraded fully to pantograph-only operation including the four intersections. Some of this has already been done on St. Clair, and I have a query in to the TTC about the additional work in this round. The presentation deck notes that this will include “Installation and reinforcing of traction power cable to allow additional flexibility”, and “Repairs to [cable] chamber walls and covers”.

Updated August 28: The TTC Replies

We have upgraded the entire tangent network across St. Clair with full stagger and installed auto-tensioning units where we were able to do so. Under this closure we will be replacing all the hybrid loops and intersections installed in 2009 with the fully optimized pantograph design. We will also be installing auto-tensioning units in the remainder of the tangent areas that were prohibitive due to the hybrid hardware at the intersections. The presentation could have been more clear with respect to this item, but ultimately, with the installation of the final pieces of fully pantograph OCS we will need to adjust and retension the entire line as a complete system from end to end.

Toronto Water will replace two failed valves at St. Clair and Greenlaw. The excavation required for this work will require temporary removal of part of the track structure. This and other work along St. Clair work is scheduled for September-October 2023. Toronto Hydro plans work between Bathurst and Caledonia from November 2023 through Q1 2024.

Work will continue on the GO bridge west of Caledonia Road as part of the GO Expansion project. Beyond mid-2024 (date TBA), there will be major work at the GO corridor east of Keele Street for service expansion including the planned “SmartTrack” station. Other roads in the area will be affected as part of a City of Toronto plan for improved access through the area.

At St. Clair Station, utility relocation work will occur in Fall-Winter 2023-24, and the offloading platform will be replaced in Fall 2024.

Fire ventilation upgrades will occur at St. Clair West Station in 2026 near the Heath Street entrance, but this will not affect operations in the underground loop.

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