The TTC has pulled all streetcars from Queen Street and replaced them with buses after the braking system on seven different vehicles was found to be damaged.

TTC Spokesperson Stuart Green said that the damage was discovered on some of the new low-floor streetcars serving the 501 Queen Street route overnight and early this morning.

He said that a decision was then made at around noon to remove all streetcars from the 501 and 508 routes “out of an over-abundance of caution.”

“We have track crews out there now and they have started a fairly thorough evaluation of the track,” he told CP24. “Our working theory is that there is something along the track itself that is causing the damage. The damage is all in the same location in all of the streetcars, so we are working to identify where it (whatever is causing the damage) is. That work is ongoing but we won’t put streetcars back on that route until we know it is safe to do so.”

Green said that about 35 streetcars usually serve the 501 route but those vehicles have been replaced by 80 to 90 buses until the issue has been resolved.

He said that because each bus only carries about 50 people compared to about 170 people on a streetcar, there is likely to be some overcrowding.

“For us it is really a matter of safety. If we left the streetcars out there with the damage there could have been a derailment or something serious so we want to avoid all of that and the way we are avoiding that is putting buses out there,” he said.

Green said that the TTC has added additional service on the 504 King streetcar line so commuters can use that as an alternative route.

Buses will continue to service Queen Street until Thursday morning as track inspection is ongoing, the TTC said.