TTC Project News
TESTING AND COMMISSIONING A SUBWAY EXTENSIONThe Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE) isscheduled to open in December 2017, with construction workfinishing at different stations throughout the year.As construction of TYSSE nears completion, the test andcommissioning phase of work to ready the subway stations forrevenue service has begun. Testing and commissioning is acritical and important milestone for a subway extension project.This process is the beginning stage for the project turning overfrom the construction contractors to the owner and operator, TTC.Six new subway stations and connecting tunnels, which form theTYSSE, will extend the TTC’s existing Line 1 Yonge-Universitynorth into the City of Vaughan in York Region.What is Commissioning?Commissioning involves a series of tests – a full audit trail – of allequipment and systems in the subway extension, including stationsand tunnels. Everything that has been placed for use in the newstations and tunnels comes with documents that explain how theitem was designed and tested, as well as how the TTC shouldoperate and maintain it. Once completed, commissioning will resultin the infrastructure having been fully tested and signed off asbeing “Fit for Purpose”.Testing starts at the individual component level in each station (e.g.electric heaters, air handling units and humidifiers), and progressesto larger systems such as HVAC, Power and Fire Alarm.Once the station systems are fully tested they are linked to integrated systems, to test across station boundaries, either station to station, or station to various control centres. Integration testing involves making sure that links between systems operate as intended, and do not have any unforeseen effects. Integration testing must be completed before proceeding to full system commissioning, which involves testing the complete system functionality of the extension to the Transit Control Centre, including test train running.The results of the tests performed under commissioning will provide evidence to allow sign off for various parts of the project’s safety certification.“This isn’t just any subway extension. This will be a Wi-Fi-, PRESTO-, Automatic-Train-Controlled subway extension,” said CEO Andy Byford. “It really will be state of the art from day one.”With overall construction more than 92 per cent complete, the project is focusing in 2017 on testing and trial operations of the facility management, communication and railway electrical and control systems. The next key milestone will be the electrification of the traction power rail by the end of March.Commissioning Achievements to Date• More than 50 per cent of stations commissioning events have been completed.• More than 40 per cent of the systems have been individually tested.Commissioning Next Steps• Start integration testing.• Turn on traction power.• Run test trains.• Accept full documentation for facility commissioning.• Hand over asset management information to TTC.• Complete facility safety certification.• Begin TTC staff training.• Complete integration commissioning.• Complete full system commissioning.• Sign off system safety certification.• Open the extension of Line 1 in December 2017.