11-01-2017, 10:49 AM
The council agenda is now posted for tonight and there is no mention of Bombardier at all.
I will be the first to admit that I have been impressed by how much Bombardier has achieved at Millhaven in such a short time. When I first heard that they had to expand the facility before they could even begin ramping up production I was not optimistic that it would improve the production rate, but so far it looks as though I have been proven wrong (we’ll have to see if it also improved the production quality as well). However, the delivery schedule is still problematic.
You are correct that I am assuming that it is Bombardier’s fault the trains are not in Waterloo; because it is. Bombardier is the only one who signed a contract indicating they could deliver 14 working trains to Waterloo by December of 2016. That obligation was not met, therefore they are at fault for not fulfilling their contract.
But let’s assume the reason the trains are not sitting in the OMSF is that the freight train delivery schedule is only once a month and Bombardier is now cranking an LRV out once a week. Does that mean it is CN’s “fault” our trains are not being delivered as promised? Of course not, Bombardier should have looked in to the freight schedule, and worked that in to their schedule. Maybe if there was some sort of wildcat strike at CN that had freight traffic ground to a halt to you let Bombardier off the hook.
So then, let’s assume the reason the trains are not sitting in the OMSF is that GrandLinq/the region wants them in a more finished state and it is easier to make those kind of fixes/tweaks in Millhaven than here. Does that mean it is GrandLinq/the region’s “fault” our trains are not being delivered as promised? No, Bombardier should have had the trains in a more finished state in the first place.
To paraphrase one of the councillors: we don’t want a discount, we don’t want our money back, we don’t want compensation for missed revenue, we want our trains!
I think I will refrain from further comment on Bombardier/LRVs at this point; this is no longer a productive conversation.
I will be the first to admit that I have been impressed by how much Bombardier has achieved at Millhaven in such a short time. When I first heard that they had to expand the facility before they could even begin ramping up production I was not optimistic that it would improve the production rate, but so far it looks as though I have been proven wrong (we’ll have to see if it also improved the production quality as well). However, the delivery schedule is still problematic.
You are correct that I am assuming that it is Bombardier’s fault the trains are not in Waterloo; because it is. Bombardier is the only one who signed a contract indicating they could deliver 14 working trains to Waterloo by December of 2016. That obligation was not met, therefore they are at fault for not fulfilling their contract.
But let’s assume the reason the trains are not sitting in the OMSF is that the freight train delivery schedule is only once a month and Bombardier is now cranking an LRV out once a week. Does that mean it is CN’s “fault” our trains are not being delivered as promised? Of course not, Bombardier should have looked in to the freight schedule, and worked that in to their schedule. Maybe if there was some sort of wildcat strike at CN that had freight traffic ground to a halt to you let Bombardier off the hook.
So then, let’s assume the reason the trains are not sitting in the OMSF is that GrandLinq/the region wants them in a more finished state and it is easier to make those kind of fixes/tweaks in Millhaven than here. Does that mean it is GrandLinq/the region’s “fault” our trains are not being delivered as promised? No, Bombardier should have had the trains in a more finished state in the first place.
To paraphrase one of the councillors: we don’t want a discount, we don’t want our money back, we don’t want compensation for missed revenue, we want our trains!
I think I will refrain from further comment on Bombardier/LRVs at this point; this is no longer a productive conversation.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.