The Scarborough RT (also known as SRT or RT and officially 3 Scarborough RT), is a rapid transit line on the Toronto subway and RT system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The line is internally referred to as Route 3 (formerly route 603), but this number is not used by the public or shown on TTC maps and signs.
Rather than the standard (and relatively large) Toronto Transit Commission subway cars used by the three other rapid-transit lines, it runs smaller, fully automated, medium-capacity rail transport system using Intermediate Capacity Transit System (ICTS) Mark I vehicles built by Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC) and powered by linear induction motors. They are the same as those used successfully by the Vancouver SkyTrain and the Detroit People Mover. The TTC is the only system to operate them with a driver on board.
The line has six stations and is 6.4 km (4.0 mi) in length, 0.5 km (0.3 mi) of it underground. It is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission and administered as part of its subway system. The Scarborough RT differs from the city's other three lines in its use of linear induction motors, and automated operation. RT stands for "rapid transit", as the name "subway" seemed inappropriate for a line with only a small section underground. Internally, the TTC uses the name "rapid transit" to refer to all four lines. The term is also sometimes used for streetcar lines. Unlike those of the rest of Toronto's streetcar and subway lines, it has standard gauge tracks.
Current proposals are for the Scarborough RT to be rebuilt as a light-rail line, beginning in 2015, to use a new fleet of light rail cars, replacing the line's current fleet. Scarborough RT riders will be bussed for three years until the rebuilding is completed.
Read more about Scarborough RT: History