toronto streetcars

Toronto says goodbye to the last old TTC streetcars

Gone the way of other quintessentially Toronto things like Honest Ed's and TTC tokens, the last of our Canadian Light Rail Vehicle streetcars were sadly retired this weekend after more than four decades on the city's streets.

The classic CLRVs, designed and put into service in the 1970s, became  emblematic of Toronto and its public transportation system. It's hard to find a Toronto souvenir that doesn't depict some rendition of the old streetcars alongside the C.N. Tower and other sights the city is known for around the world.

The commission retired the longer, articulated version of the vehicle in September, and ran the last of our nearly 200 CLRVs on their final routes yesterday. The last public trip was by car 4178 on the 501 Queen line.

The loss of the iconic streetcar is certainly a painful part of necessary progress, but Torontonians have enjoyed celebrating their tenure in the past few months.

A specially-painted rainbow version of the vehicle was put into service on certain main routes to pay homage to the life of the CLRV, and one was even put on permanent display at a museum in the U.S.

Though the new Bombardier streetcars and their associated contactless Presto system have had their fair share of issues, the vehicles are roomy, accessible, air conditioned, and admittedly far more modern and functional.

Still, the old streetcars and the memories they represent to residents both individually and collectively as a city mean they will definitely be sorely missed.

Lead photo by

Hamish Grant


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