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History of Rail Transit in Toronto

Toronto and York Radial Interurban

Metropolitan Street Railway Company of Toronto (January 26, 1885 - 1893)
Incorporated on March 02, 1877 (Ont.) and began with animal railway service on Yonge Street began in 1885. Electric service began on September 01, 1890. Animal power was resubstituted circa October 1890 - circa May 1891.
In 1893, Metropolitan Street Railway Company of Toronto changed its name to the Metropolitan Street Railway Company (MStRyCo).

Metropolitan Street Railway Company (1893 - 1897)
In 1897, the name was changed to Metropolitan Railway Company (MRyCo).

Metropolitan Railway Company (1897 - November 01, 1904)
In August 1, 1904, Controlling interest acquired by the Toronto Railway Company (city system), through its subsidiary, the Toronto & York Radial Railway Company (T&YRR).


Toronto and York Radial Railway Company (November 01, 1904 - March 16, 1930)
Incorporated 1898 (Dom.) Owned by the Toronto Railway Company (city system). Company operations began when the Metropolitan Railway Company (MRyCo), the Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway (T&SERL&PCo) and the Toronto and Mimico Railway Company (T&MRyCo) were combined as the Toronto and York Radial Railway Company (T&YRR) 1904. Acquired by the City of Toronto on August 16, 1922 and operated by the Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario as the Hydro Electric Railways: Toronto and York Division from November 01, 1922 until January 12, 1927. After this date, service was operated under contract by the Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC). Mimico line service suspended from September 27, 1928 - December 09, 1928 and was ended 09 February 1935. Scarborough line ended service June 25, 1936. North Yonge service abandoned by the Toronto and York Radial Railway Company (T&YRR) March 16, 1930. Partial service resumed in July 1930 under a new owner.

North Yonge Railways (July 17, 1930 - October 09, 1948)
Owned by area municipalities. Operated under contract by the Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC).

Schomberg Branch
Schomberg and Aurora Railway Company (1916 - 1922)
Incorporated 1896 (Dom.) Opened in 1904 as a steam railway and acquired that year by the Toronto and York Radial Railway Company (T&YRR). Electrified in 1916. Operated as a subsidiary of the Toronto and York Radial Railway Company throughout its existence.



Kingston Road/Scarboro' Line
Kingston Road Tramways Company (June 09, 1875 - circa May 1887)
Horse car operation from the Don River east on Kingston Road (now Queen Street and Kingston Road. A forerunner of the Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company (T&SERy).

Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company(July 01, 1893 - November 01, 1904)
Incorporated on August 18, 1892 (Ont.) Controlling interest acquired by the Toronto Railway Company (TRC) on March 06, 1895. Line divided between the city system and the Toronto and York Radial Railway Company (T&YRR) in 1904 or 1906.

Mimico/Port Credit Line
Toronto and Mimico Electric Railway and Light Company (July 16, 1892 - 1903)
Incorporated 14 November 1890 (Ont.) Service suspended from September 10, 1892 - July 01, 1893. Controlling interest acquired by the Toronto Railway Company (TRC) on July 05, 1893. Name changed to Toronto and Mimico Railway Company (T&MRyCo) 1903.

Toronto and Mimico Railway Company (1903 - 01 November 1904)
Amalgamated into the Toronto and York Radial Railway Company (T&YRR) in 1904.



Toronto Suburban, Interurban


City and Suburban Electric Railway Company (October 1892 - 1894)
Incorporated on November 12, 1890 as the Weston, High Park and Toronto Street Railway Company. Name changed to City and Suburban Electric Railway Company (C&SERyCo) 1891.

Davenport Street Railway Company (06 September 1892 - 1894)
Electric railway operating west of the then city limits of Toronto. Line was merged into the Toronto Suburban Street Railway Company in 1894.

Toronto Suburban Street Railway Company (1894 - 1900)
Incorporated 1894 as the merger of the City and Suburban Electric Railway Company (C&SERyCo) and the Davenport Street Railway Company (DSRyCo). Name changed to Toronto Suburban Railway Company (TSRyCo) in 1900.

Toronto Suburban Railway Company (1900 - 26 December 1923)
Acquired by Canadian Northern Railway Company interests in 1911 and gradually extended, reaching Guelph in 1917. Canadian Northern became Canadian National Railways. Suburban lines within the city of Toronto were sold on November 15, 1923 and absorbed by the TTC.

Canadian National Electric Railways: Toronto Suburban District (26 December 1923 - 15 August 1931)
Track in the Township of York sold to the municipality on November 25, 1924 for operation as York Township Railways on behalf of the community by the TTC. York Township and the Town of Weston jointly acquired Toronto Suburban Weston line on November 28, 1925, adding it to the York Township Railways. The line went from Weston north to Woodbridge and was abandoned on May 10, 1926, and the Toronto-Guelph line was closed August 15, 1931.
(Note: several right-of-ways can still be found - although they are disappearing fast - from this line and one portion is again being used to operate an electric railway)

Toronto Eastern Interurban
Toronto Eastern Railway Company (No operation)
Incorporated April 04, 1910 to build a high speed electric interurban from Toronto east to Pickering, Whitby, and Oshawa. The company was acquired by Canadian Northern Railway interests in 1911 who extended the proposal east of Oshawa to Bowmanville and Cobourg. Construction begun in 1912. By 1913 track was in place from Bowmanville to Whitby, and construction halted. The property passed with its parent to Canadian National Railways on September 1918. Amalgamated with the Toronto Suburban on December 26, 1923 to form the Canadian National Electric Railways. Canadian National Electric Railways (CNERys) began rehabilitation of the existing trackwork in 1923, and new construction between Whitby and Pickering was undertaken. The CNR abandoned the project for a second time in 1924. No commercial service ever operated on the line.

Toronto Belt Line Railway [Company] (July 30, 1892 - November 17, 1894)
Organized by local interests but closely allied with the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) Company. Constructed linking trackage creating two loops between downtown Toronto and the nearby suburbs. It was financially unable to complete construction and was acquired on June 01, 1892 by the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR), which completed it and began operations. Unprofitable, the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) terminated passenger service and abandoned some of the trackage in 1894.
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