Hitachi Rail wins CAD 407.7 million Toronto Line 2 signalling contract

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) awarded a contract to Hitachi Rail Canada on 15 July 2026 to install communications-based train control on the city's Line 2 Bloor-Danforth subway, including the Scarborough extension currently under construction. The upgrade is designed to deliver more frequent and reliable service.

Hitachi Rail will install its SelTrac CBTC system on Line 2. CBTC replaces conventional fixed-block signalling with continuous train-to-wayside communication, enabling closer headways and higher throughput on existing infrastructure. The upgrade is expected to increase Line 2's capacity by up to 40 per cent, from roughly 23,400 to up to 33,000 passengers per hour during peak periods.

Line 2 currently runs 31 stations across approximately 26 km, from Kipling to Kennedy. The contract also covers the 7.8 km eastward extension to Scarborough now under construction, which will add three further stations.

Work on the project begins this year, with initial design and engineering activities continuing through 2028. Implementation will take place in phases, with project completion scheduled for 2037.

SelTrac is not currently in service elsewhere on Toronto's subway network. Line 1 Yonge-University has operated under CBTC since 2022, but using Alstom's Urbalis system rather than Hitachi's SelTrac. The two lines will therefore run on non-interoperable signalling platforms; any rolling stock intended to operate across both lines would need onboard equipment for both systems.

The Hitachi contract is separate from the CAD 2.3 billion agreement TTC signed with Alstom in January 2026 for 70 new subway trains, 55 of which are earmarked to replace Line 2's ageing fleet.