All-Time List of Canadian Transit Systems

London, Ontario

Principal System

London Street Railway Company (24 May 1875 - 31 December 1950)
Incorporated 29 March 1873 (Ont.) Introduced electric streetcars in 1895 and buses in 1923. Discontinued electric streetcars 1940.

The London Transportation Commission (01 January 1951 - mid 1974)
Municipal operation. Contracted for a time to Charterways Transportation Limited (Canadian Coach 1970). (Dawes et al. 1972, photos: Peter Cox).

The London Transit Commission (mid 1974 - present)
(Canadian Coach 1974, Sotnyk 1981, CUTA 1989, CUTA 1991/2, CUTA 1992, photos: Brian Sullivan [Peter Cox collection])

system logo	Service area population	290,000 (1991)
	Vehicle fleet	174 buses (2000)
	Employees	509 (1991)
	Ridership	19,145,634 (2009)
	Data sources:	CUTA 1991/2 CTHF/SSG 2000 website 2002 (logo) CTF [Aug. 2010] (ridership)

various private jitney operators (circa 1922 - 1930)
The jitney “problem” continued longer in London than elsewhere in Canada, helped in part by an unfriendly relationship between the LSRy and municipal authorities. Insurance requirements introduced 1926 helped to eliminate many operators. It was not until the LSRy franchise of 1930 forbid bus competition that the trade was stamped out. Jitney operators mentioned in the pages of Canadian Railway and Marine World included:

• Metropolitan Bus Lines Ltd. (late October 1925 - circa 10 February 1926). Operating in competition with LSRy (CR&MW December 1925, p. 625). Buses moved to St. Thomas to replace its electric street railway (CR&MW March 1926, p. 146).
• Brown and Norton (circa May 1928 - ?). London - Byron service in competition with the LSRy's Springbank line (CR&MW June 1928, p. 361).
• M. Neilson (circa May 1928 - 1930?). Permitted to operate in London in spite of a municipal promise to issue no further permits (CR&MW June 1928, p. 362). Operating “voluntary-fare” in the Hamilton Road area after 01 January 1930 in defiance of municipal ban (CR&MW Feb. 1930, p. 108).
• Daniel Hone (circa 15 April 1929 - 1930?). Operating a “voluntary-fare” bus service on Hamilton Road in the Ealing district (CR&MW May 1929, p. 324).
• J.W. Levitt (03 July 1929 - 1930?). Operating a “voluntary-fare” bus service on Waterloo Street via city centre to Wharncliffe Road area (CR&MW August 1929, p. 525).
• Richards Coach Lines (? - 1930?). Transferred operations to St. Thomas.
• D. Murray (1929? - 1930?). Operating “voluntary-fare” in the Hamilton Road area after 01 January 1930 in defiance of municipal ban (CR&MW Feb. 1930, p. 108).

Eastern Canadian Greyhound Lines (circa 1946 - circa 1964)
Intercity bus operator in Ontario. ECG maintained a small fleet of suburban buses and operated commuter bus service between London and St. Thomas. (Luke & Metler Old Look Buses p. 42, photo: Jim Husing Coll./NorCalBusFans).

Modes

London and Lake Erie Interurban

South Western Traction Company (04 June 1906 - 20 October 1909)
Line from London, via St. Thomas to Port Stanley. Known colloquially as The Traction, a nickname that persisted through to the end of the line's history in 1918 (Cooper). Acquired the charter, franchises and assets of the unbuilt Middlesex and Elgin Inter-urban Railway Company 12 June 1903. Sold at foreclosure. (Andreae 1997 indicates the London - Lambeth segment opening in 1902). (photo: postcard/trainweb.org).

London and Lake Erie Railway and Transportation Company (20 October 1909 - 15 October 1918)
An attempt was made to develop a bus feeder system. Interurban Motors Limited was incorporated circa April 1917 by L&LE principals and announced it would commence feeder service from Aylmer to the L&LE at St. Thomas 01 May 1917. Routes from Delaware to the L&LE at Lambeth, and from Sparta to the L&LE at Union were expected to follow immediately. By March 1918 only the Aylmer route was running and the bus company was named St. Thomas-Alymer Motor Bus Co. (with the same manager). (CR&MW April 1917, p. 152; May 1917, p. 199; April 1918, p. 165). The L&LE was unable to compete commercially with the newer and faster L&PS for through traffic between London, St. Thomas and Port Stanley. (photo: trainweb.org)

London and Port Stanley Interurban

London and Port Stanley Railway Company (01 July 1915 - 18 February 1957)
Incorporated 1853 as a steam railway and commenced operations as such 25 September 1856 (Formal opening ceremonies 16 October 1856). Line from London, via St. Thomas to Port Stanley. Promoted as a private enterprise but the majority of stock was held by the City of London and other municipalities. The City of London leased the line and electrified it in 1914. In 1955 the old company was dissolved and ownership of the line vested directly in the City of London (under the London Railway Commission). Electric freight operation ended 31 December 1965 and the line acquired by Canadian National Railways 01 January 1966.

Port Stanley Terminal Rail, Inc. (1983 - present)
Seven mile (11 km) portion of the L&PS line operated as a diesel-hauled tourist railway.

Note

References

• Benjamin, Charles E., “The Port Stanley Incline Railway,” Canadian Rail, No. 415, March-April 1990.
• Cooper, J.I., “The Traction: The Story of the London & Lake Erie,”, Canadian Rail, March 1968, pages 58 - 70.
• NewDavesRailPix: Ontario, a World Wide Web gallery of photos at the URL: http://newdavesrailpix.com/odds/on/on.htm, 2000.
• MacKellar, Dan, The London and Lake Erie Railway, a world wide web site at the URL http://www.trainweb.org/swtractionco/ 2009.
• Morningstar, C.K., From Dobbin to Diesel: The Story of Public Transportation in London, Canada, The London Transportation Commission, London (Ontario), 1973.
• Port Stanley Terminal Rail, a World Wide Web site at the URL: “http://www.pstr.on.ca/”, 1997.