Proposed abandonment of Toronto-Lake Simcoe radial railway.

The Toronto Transportation Commission's recommendation to the Toronto city board of control that the electric radial railway line from Toronto to Sutton, on Lake Simcoe, be abandoned, was dealt with in Canadian Railway and Marine World for June, pg. 368 and July, pg. 462, the latter article giving a summary of the report made for the T.T.C. by R. M. Feustel, on which the recommendation for abandonment was based. When the York County municipalities served by the line learned that the T.T.C. had recommended abandonment and that Toronto city authorities were in favor of it, they protested, claiming that the city, which owns the line, which is 48.66 miles long and which has been losing money at the rate of over $400,000 a year, is obligated to continue the service. The T.T.C. operates the line as agent for the city. The various municipalities served by the line formed a protective committee, which had a conference with the Toronto city board of control and the T.T.C. on June 28, and two conferences with the T.T.C. only on July 3 and 10. No progress toward agreement was reached, the members of the municipalities' committee not having any concrete suggestions and being disposed to ask for more time to consider the situation. At the time of writing, July 17, a further conference between the three bodies has been arranged for July 24. The city and T.T.C. view is that the passenger traffic should be handled by motor coach and the freight traffic left to steam railway and trucks. It is probable that before the municipalities' committee can be satisfied, if it can be by anything short of retention of the radial railway service, reductions in motor coach fares, to bring them down to the level of the fares charged on the radial cars, would have to be offered by the T.T.C.

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

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