Electric railway notes.

Toronto-Lake Simcoe electric radial railway's future.—The investigation under Toronto Transportation Commission auspices to determine the advisability of abandoning operation on all or a part of the electric railway connecting Toronto and Sutton, on Lake Simcoe, mentioned in our Dec. 1928 issue, pg. 735, has not been started at the time of writing, Dec. 20, 1928. The line, 48.66 miles long, is operated by the T.T.C. for the City of Toronto, which owns it. The investment in it about $2,500,000. Its salvage value, it is calculated, would be about $500,000. The chief assets include properties in Toronto, mortgages on Toronto properties, a park at Bond Lake of 160 acres, terminal station and car house at North Toronto city limits, gravel pits, substations, etc. The city's right to abandon the line is questioned, some of the municipalities served by it claiming that, under the terms of the franchises taken over when the line was acquired from the Mackenzie interests, the obligation to furnish a service in perpetuity has been imposed. So far as the write is aware, no authoritative legal opinion on the matter has been given. The T.T.C. management states, however, that if the investigation to be undertaken indicates that all or part of the line should be abandoned, that will be done, thus indicating that the body has no doubts as to its right to abandon operation of the line if and when circumstances warrant.

Railways: Met.Ry., T. & Y.Rad.Ry., T.T.C.

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