Line 3 Scarborough

Line 3 Scarborough
An S-series train at the Line 3 platform of Kennedy station
Overview
Status	Closed
Owner	Toronto Transit Commission
Locale	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Termini	Kennedy McCowan
Stations	6[1]
Website	Official route page
Service
Type	Light rapid transit
System	Toronto subway
Operator(s)	Toronto Transit Commission
Depot(s)	McCowan Yard
Rolling stock	S series
Daily ridership	0 (weekdays, Q1 2024)[2]
Ridership	3,908,000 (2023)[3]
History
Opened	March 22, 1985; 39 years ago (1985-03-22)
Closed	July 24, 2023; 11 months ago (2023-07-24)[4]
Technical
Line length	6.4 km (4.0 mi)[5]
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	600 V DC fifth rail
Signalling	Thales SelTrac CBTC
Route map Line 3 Scarborough highlighted in blue Show interactive map Legend McCowan Yard McCowan Scarborough Centre Midland Stouffville line to Old Elm Ellesmere Lawrence East Line 5 Eglinton Kennedy TTC │ GO Line 2 Bloor–Danforth Stouffville line to Union Station This diagram: view talk edit Show route diagram

Line 3 Scarborough, originally known as Scarborough RT (SRT), was a light rapid transit line that was part of the Toronto subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.^[6][7] 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 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 3,908,000.

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 operate on 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 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+7⁄8 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, the municipal government of Toronto was debating 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, Toronto City 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,^[8][9] which was set to be completed by 2026.^[10] 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.^[11][12]

The TTC planned for Line 3 to cease operations in November 2023,^[13] 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 opens for service (estimated 2030).^[14] However, a train derailment in July 2023 resulted in the line permanently closing four months ahead of schedule.^[15][16] 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. The busway is targeted for completion by 2025.^[17][18]