[URBAN NOTE] "TTC may sue Bombardier over mounting streetcar delays"

[rfmcdonald]

CBC reports on the continuing frustration of the TTC with Bombardier for the latter's slow case of streetcar production.

The TTC threatened to sue Bombardier on Friday after the company announced it would not be able to deliver 23 new streetcars by the end of the year, as promised.

The TTC board will consider filing a $50 million claim for late delivery of the streetcars, or may even launch a lawsuit against Bombardier, TTC chair Josh Colle announced in a news release.

"I am incredibly disappointed to learn that Bombardier, yet again, will not be meeting their commitments to deliver new streetcars to Toronto," Colle said in the statement.

Bombardier, which produces the streetcars at its Thunder Bay, Ont. manufacturing plant, has been struggling to build the 204 streetcars the TTC ordered.

Bombardier, in a statement, blamed the latest delay on issues with electrical connectors on two of the new streetcars currently in production and said its given the TTC a revised delivery schedule. Previously, at a meeting with TTC officials this summer, the company blamed everything from changes to their production line to the intricacies of the vehicle to staffing changes.

According to the TTC, there are only 10 new streetcars available in Toronto, when there should be 67 of the vehicles operating in the city.