Bombardier says it’s ‘truly’ sorry for faulty Toronto streetcars
TORONTO Executives from Bombardier’s transportation division spent Tuesday afternoon apologizing to the Toronto Transit Commission board for welding issues on its problem-plagued streetcar order.
Bombardier Transportation’s Americas president Benoit Brossoit and chief operating officer David Van der Wee appeared before the TTC board, the week after the transit authority said 67 of the 89 streetcars that the company had delivered had to be sent back for repairs. “First and foremost, we understand and share the disappointment of the mayor, the board and TTC riders. We truly apologize,” Brossoit told the board.
“I sincerely hear your frustration. Bombardier takes this situation very seriously, and I personally take this situation very seriously.”
Brossoit also stressed that, despite the need for preventive maintenance, “the situation poses absolutely no safety issue for TTC’s riders and employees.”
The welding flaws with the new streetcars are the latest issue in the $1.2-billion order, which has been plagued by delivery delays over the past several years.
According to Van der Wee, the welding flaw was first identified during an audit in 2016. While the root cause of the welding issue was corrected in June 2017, 67 alreadydelivered streetcars will have to be returned to the company’s plant in La Pocatière, Que., to undergo repairs, which will take about 19 weeks. Bombardier will cover the cost of the repairs.
The public apology from the Montreal-based company comes as the TTC looks at purchasing an additional 60 streetcars to meet future ridership growth, something Bombardier hopes to be selected to provide. The company is scheduled to deliver the 204 cars ordered by the TTC by the end of 2019.
While Brossoit said he would not discuss the possibility of getting the 60-car order, a decision he stressed was up to the TTC, he said he is focused on delivering quality products to the transit authority.
At the same time, Brossoit said Bombardier stands by its product.
“Issues like this one are not uncommon in the industry. It does not make our cars bad,” he said.