ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[trainspotter139]

So we have 502 and 504 now? Did 501 get shipped back?

No 501 is staying here as far as we know

[ijmorlan]

Freight train had four tankers and nothing else going up tonight. So I guess 504 stays at Lancaster overnight.

[Pheidippides]

It's still postponed, for unknown reasons.

(“Why am I not surprised” is a bit harsh. You have no idea if one of the key reporters fell ill or something and couldn’t make it.)

It was probably a bit harsh.

When Bombardier starts meeting deadlines I will be the first to praise them.

Given the apparent progress they have made on our order they seem well positioned to meet Edmonton's 2016 order for 26 by 2020 (10 in 2018, 13 in 2019, and 3 in 2020).

If they start on the first part of Edmonton's order, 10 in 2018, on 01-Jan-2018 and deliver the first last one on 31-Dec-2018 that's about one every 37 days; very doable. And getting 26 by 31-Dec-2020 is only one every 42 days.

They still have a long way to go to finish the Eglinton part (76) of the 2010 (!) Metrolinx order which was originally due in 2020 and now not needed until the fall of 2021 (more likely 2022). They'd have to crank out Edmonton's 26 and then Eglinton's 76 at a rate of 1 every 14 days. Still doable, or claimed as such, but not something they have demonstrated yet, and even if they can do it that would still be 12 years between order placement and completion by then.

[jamincan]

I think Bombardier has been given more than enough benefit of the doubt. After a certain point, chronic delays of the sort we are seeing from them can only be chalked up to mismanagement. Part of proper management is planning for unforeseen circumstances, and in any case, this situation stills seems to largely be one of their own making.

[Canard]

They’ve already started on Edmonton's order.

[tomh009]

I think Bombardier has been given more than enough benefit of the doubt. After a certain point, chronic delays of the sort we are seeing from them can only be chalked up to mismanagement. Part of proper management is planning for unforeseen circumstances, and in any case, this situation stills seems to largely be one of their own making.

The media event delay is of their own making? Do we know this?

[rangersfan]

I think he is referring to the LRV delivery debacle being largely Bombardier's.

I for one am glad that we bought the LRVs from a Canadian company, it's just unfortunate that the company is going through so much turmoil and at the same time has delayed the launch of Ion.

Hopefully the company gets stabilized and a strong partnership develops between Bombardier, the Region and Grandlinq. Leading to many follow up orders and LRT network extensions.

[Canard]

Kingston is doing amazing things, and will continue to do so - look for an incredible announcement in the new year.

Thunder Bay has done a great job of building “big and clunky” rail cars. The type of construction that an LRV is makes a lot more sense to be done in Kingston, alongside Monorail and ICTS. It was the right move to send production there, and they’re blasting through it.

[DHLawrence]

Is the announcement going to connect Kingston to the TTC streetcar order? If they can get it done faster, go with it.

[Canard]

:: whistles, walks away ::

[timio]

Again, being coy gives freedom to speculate.

LRV TRANSFORMERS!

[Markster]

Well, 504 just cruised through town this evening!
No chase team this time though.

[Canard]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Welcome, 504! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wrLRT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wrLRT</a> <a href="https://t.co/NsFPsybWoF">pic.twitter.com/NsFPsybWoF</a></p>&mdash; ? Iain Hendry ? (@Canardiain) <a href="https://twitter.com/Canardiain/status/938952291230650368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2017</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here’s our next <a href="https://twitter.com/BombardierRail?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BombardierRail</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLEXITY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FLEXITY</a> Freedom LRV, arriving in Waterloo Region! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wrLRT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wrLRT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kwawesome?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kwawesome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LightRail?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LightRail</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Trains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Trains</a> <a href="https://t.co/qUFDje4HxM">pic.twitter.com/qUFDje4HxM</a></p>&mdash; ? Iain Hendry ? (@Canardiain) <a href="https://twitter.com/Canardiain/status/938957063438438400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2017</a></blockquote>

[tomh009]

Welcome indeed!

Is 503 next, or 505?

[Canard]

Should be 503. Then... we'll see!