Bombardier not to blame for streetcar derailment, TTC says

The Toronto Transit Commission says Bombardier is notto blame for the latest mishap involving one of its new Thunder Bay-built streetcars.

The car derailed Tuesday morning at the corner of King and Bathurst Streets in Toronto.

Its wheel struck some debris while it waspushing another, older, streetcar that had broken down on the track, said TTC spokespersonStuart Green.

The TTC has frequently expressed frustration with Bombardier over repeated delays in delivering the streetcars which are assembled at the Thunder Bay plant.

The union representing Bombardier workers has blamed those delays on poor quality parts from the company's Mexican operation.

But TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said this incident has nothing to do with how the car was designed or built.

"This was just an issue of debris in the track, and the weight of pushing another car and making a turn," Green said. "The derailment was not caused because this was a new car. It could have easily happened to one of the older cars as well."

It took workers in Toronto nine hours to put the streetcar back on the track, Green said.