Disabled TTC streetcar blocking King-Church intersection

A TTC streetcar that got tangled in power cables on Wednesday continued to block a major downtown intersection on in the evening, creating a number of service disruptions.

The TTC said the disabled streetcar remains stuck at King Street E. and Church Street.

Closures, diversions and shuttle buses organized in the morning were still in place by 10 p.m.

The TTC said more equipment and crews were added later in the day, but the aim was to clear the streetcar tracks by sometime Wednesday night. Additional streetcars were positioned near the stranded one to serve as cooling stations for workers, the TTC said.

Ten streetcars stranded in the morning have been cleared.

Here's what you need to know about the resulting transit changes:

• The 501 and 504 streetcar lines are diverting around the intersection.

• The 503 line has been replaced with shuttle buses.

The TTC said the streetcar that caused the problems was moving through the intersection when its pantograph — the piece atop the car that connects to power cables — wound up tangled in the network of cables above the intersection.

At this point, the TTC said the likely culprit is a switch malfunctioning as the streetcar turned.

As a result, the middle part of the streetcar came off one rail. There were no injuries.

Earlier on Wednesday, the TTC said power crews were working on scene replacing a circuit breaker.

Toronto police have been on scene to handle the resulting traffic, the TTC said.