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ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit
https://twitter.com/rideIONrt/status/951495024952328192

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ION LRT vehicle testing in now underway outside of the test track. Testing will now begin to advance across the 19 km route. Vehicles will not run on a schedule &amp; will move slowly at times. Please obey signage, stay off tracks and stay alert! <a href="https://t.co/RKl1iNAY6F">pic.twitter.com/RKl1iNAY6F</a></p>&mdash; ION (@rideIONrt) <a href="https://twitter.com/rideIONrt/status/951495024952328192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The region has issued a press release. Let the towing begin  Big Grin

http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/newsli...eQuAleQuAl

Quote:January 11, 2018

Waterloo Region – Testing of the ION system is expected to progress to all areas of the ION route, beginning on Thursday, January 11.

Weather dependent, this will begin with un-powered testing – system testing with an ION light rail vehicle being towed – along the Northfield Drive /King Street section of the ION route in Waterloo. Testing is then expected to advance to all areas of the route over the subsequent days.

This is the first time ION light rail vehicles will be travelling alongside cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles in the community. Motorists are reminded to never stop or park their vehicles on light rail tracks. Any vehicle stopped or parked on the tracks will be ticketed or towed. 

While vehicles are in testing phase, they will not run on a schedule and will be moving slowly at times. There may also be unexpected signal changes and unusual signal sequencing at intersections. Residents may also see flaggers or paid duty officers assisting crews at intersections.

Testing will advance throughout winter and spring and will continue until service starts. As testing progresses, the speed of the light rail vehicles will increase until they begin to test at operational speeds.

System and light rail vehicle testing advanced throughout 2017 with freight track testing taking place on the ION test track in December, followed by powered testing at the Operations Maintenance and Storage Facility (OMSF) on Dutton Drive.

Testing across the entire light rail transit route is a significant milestone and moves the Region of Waterloo closer to the commencement of light rail service.

For further information on ION safety and ION testing, please visit www.grt.ca/ION
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Headline isn’t correct - it’s just to Conestoga today.

Pics and videos to come later tonight when I have time to edit.
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If it's being towed, is there a reason they can't strap cameras in each end of the train, and one pointed at the train from the tower's perspective? I would *LOVE* to see those strapped into a 3 of 4 quadrant YouTube video for the whole line.
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What’s a 3 or 4 quadrant video?
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Launch data is slipping later in to spring...
Galloway said he is "cautiously optimistic" the trains will be in full-fare service by June. 
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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Since "late spring" meant "July" for the King Street opening, June still sounds pretty early.
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(01-11-2018, 04:07 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: Launch data is slipping later in to spring...
Galloway said he is "cautiously optimistic" the trains will be in full-fare service by June. 

Is this really 'slipping'.  I think "June" might still qualify as "Spring" by regional project completion standards.
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Of course I am hopeful that they will surprise us and keep to the early spring committment, but yes it still feels optimistic.

It was just the first time I've seen/heard a councilor/the region/grandlinq say something other than "May 1" or late spring.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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Some video I shot this morning of the first part of the Pull-Through (couldn't stay for the whole thing):

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(01-11-2018, 07:04 PM)Canard Wrote: Some video I shot this morning of the first part of the Pull-Through (couldn't stay for the whole thing):


I like that cute little pedestrian gate  Big Grin
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My wife was heading home along Bearinger this evening and the gates were down and lights flashing. No train or personnel were in evidence. So after four minutes of waiting she pulled a U-turn and went home along Columbia.

I thought the testing was from the OMSF to Conestoga and back, so this was confusing.

I am just glad they're experiencing these bugs in the system before there are passengers aboard the LRVs.
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Ion begins testing light rail vehicles over entire route

Quote:Anyone who's got into the habit of parking on the tracks will have to find somewhere else to park, since there's now the very real possibility that a train will be coming along those tracks. Bylaw officers will be enforcing the parking ban more strictly; vehicles parked on tracks will be towed and subject to a $40 fine.

Quote:Each of the 14 cars must log 600 hours of operation on the system before it's deemed ready for service, so more and more cars will be going up and down the tracks over the next few months, Galloway said. Bombardier is completing one new vehicle about every 15 days, he added.
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I'm really curious if it's 600 km or 600 hours. That's a big difference!

(and I'm actually excited if it's 600 hours - because that almost guarantees lots of OT and weekend/night runs for burn-in, when I'm selfishly far more likely to be able to watch!)
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I assume that's either a misquote or just a flub from Galloway. The project agreement is quite specific about the burn-in test parameters.

Quote:3 Burn-In Tests

3.1 Upon successful completion of the Acceptance Tests, the Vehicle shall start the Burn‐In Test to
be conducted by the Region and the Vehicle Supplier, with operational support from Project Co
utilizing the Test Track and any other available track.

3.2 The 600 Km “Burn‐In Test" will be run on each Vehicle prior to final acceptance and shall be
free of class A, B, and C failures, as generally defined below; the only permissible fault shall be
of class D:
(a) Rescue towing/pushing is required ‐ Failure Mode Category A = Severe vehicle
impairment
(b) Out‐of‐service to carhouse ‐ Failure Mode Category B = Vehicle impairment
© In service to end of the line ‐ Failure Mode Category C = Minor vehicle impairment
(d) In service to end of the day ‐ Failure Mode Category D = No vehicle impairment

3.3 The test shall simulate revenue service, to the extent reasonably possible, and include regular
cycling of doors, PA announcements, and automatic passenger announcements, PEI operation,
radio communication as well as any other feature normally encountered in revenue service. Such
simulation may include manual activation of certain features. In the event that the A, B, and C
fault‐free continuous 600 km is not achieved the “burn‐in” will be repeated until the requirement
is met.

3.4 Upon successful completion of the Burn‐In Test, the Vehicle shall be eligible for issuance of a
Vehicle Final Acceptance Certificate.
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