01-06-2023, 06:20 PM
(01-06-2023, 01:16 PM)Bytor Wrote: So I finally got this expanded response from Mathieu Goetzke about the ION not working on that day of freezing rain after a bit of poking and prodding:
Quote:The LRT system should perform adequately in winter weather and Keolis, the system operator, has not met its contractual requirements in the latest weather event. Root cause analyses are performed every time there is a service incident, and operator practices are corrected. Those corrections did not help in this incident.
Multiple catenary scraper devices were acquired to help remove any ice build-up on the catenaries. Recent vehicle availability issues, including 3 LRVs under repair due to vandalism a week before the storm, hampered the operator’s ability to deploy the scrapers at the required time/ frequency. We are pressuring GrandLinq/Keolis to make further improvements and meet the requirements of the Project Agreement.
However, for me that begs more questions.
Did they only acquire these special "catenary scraper devices" for some of the trams instead of all? Or is Goetzke saying that a tram every 10 minutes wasn't enough to keep the catenaries clear?
Also, 3 trams out of service means there are still 12 available, but 10 minute headways only needs 10 trams so there were 2 others sitting unused. Why couldn't they have been pressed into service to scrape? Or is he saying that even 12 trams scraping away wasn't enough?
What is remarkable to me is that every. single. storm. this happens.
It's not like it's been operating fine in extreme weather and we've just had a couple of failures.
These are supposed to be experts...they should know about this before hand.
But worse their corrections still haven't resulted in successful service.
But at least we're not Ottawa, last I saw there was a picture of a snapped catenary wire.