ION Phase 2 - Cambridge's Light Rail Transit

[KevinL]

We also lack the economies of scale that come from regular infrastructure construction of this type - passenger rail is built so rarely in North America that a lot of expertise, parts, and equipment has to be imported at a premium, while in Europe it's all 'off the shelf'.

[ac3r]

Huh? The Flexity Freedom's were mostly built here in Canada (some was done in Mexico but not much). Bombardier knows how to cast metals, mould plastics and obtain electric/computer/etc systems to install and have a lot of experience making transportation products, so they should know how to put together trains in a timely manner. It all gets manufactured to order. Not like European rolling stock manufacturers have storerooms of trains they can just sell ASAP. The bulk of the LRT infrastructure itself is not complicated either. It's a lot of concrete, rails and various things like signalling, power lines, communications, drainage, pouring ballast etc) and there are more than enough experienced companies out there that can do this stuff. We just have a really awful way of completing public infrastructure projects over here resulting in everything costing a large amount of money and time. The planning, policies, economics, construction and operation of things is ridiculously high when it really shouldn't be.

[tomh009]

And the amount of grade separation and bridges will affect the cost--and in some cases infrastructure improvements may also be bundled into the same budget. Not always apples and apples.

[clasher]

It's not just LRT that is getting ridiculous, there was nr s that a section of the planned 413 is gonna have one km section cost 444$ million for the bridge over the Humber.

[ac3r]

Today I was reading about the Réseau express métropolitain and noticed the price tag. 6.5 billion. That's expected for a fully automated, driverless light metro, 26 stations, 212 pieces of rolling stock and all the other complex systems that make up the infrastructure. Just 6.5 billion for a system that crosses even more complex terrain (very large rivers - currently, 3km across the St. Lawrence which is about half as wide as Cambridge is as a city) and urban landscapes (a metropolitan area with millions of people) than the Cambridge line will.

Yet somehow the Cambridge line is going to cost 4.5 billion.

[clasher]

Probably built with union construction too...

[KevinL]

The REM also has fully enclosed stations with platform screen doors, plus elevators and all the associated requirements. Compare that to Ion's open-air street-level stations; it's night and day.

[SF22]

I can't wait to try the REM one day, it looks amazing. The enclosed stations and the safe waiting space behind the walls is next-level, and it should be considered the standard for all projects moving forward if we want to make transit more appealing to everyone.

[ac3r]

Check it out when you can! It's great. So fun if you get to ride in the front as you cross the St. Lawrence river. I'm seriously impressed by it and how they managed to build such an extensive metro system for so cheap. We're getting seriously ripped off with the LRT.

[KevinL]

Toronto's new Ontario Line should resemble the REM in a lot of respects.

[bravado]

This got buried in the other thread so I guess I’d repost it here if anyone has more knowledge than Reddit.

Can any public expense experts chime in on this possible new cost estimate for Phase 2 found on Reddit?

https://www.reddit.com/r/waterloo/s/qJMxadf22H

[Acitta]

Bloomberg: How Montreal Built a Blueprint for Bargain Rapid Transit

[ac3r]

This got buried in the other thread so I guess I’d repost it here if anyone has more knowledge than Reddit.

Can any public expense experts chime in on this possible new cost estimate for Phase 2 found on Reddit?

https://www.reddit.com/r/waterloo/s/qJMxadf22H

Project development likely =/= total cost of the project once completed and ready to open. But then 1+ billion spent on just project development makes no sense either.

But who knows exactly. Either way it's probably going to cost way more than it should and the end product will be piss poor since despite the higher cost. They could spend 10 billion and I still don't see this LRT line managing to have any significant improvements whether that means improvements for stations, speeds, signalling, improved LRV quality and features, being actually grade separated (rest assured it'll be getting into accidents and getting stuck at red lights too), using green track beds or even just extremely basic things like...well...how about more than 2 benches for people to sit on? Or shelters that cover more of the platform, rather than being bus shelter sized? Heck they could have not blew how many hundreds of thousands on stupid art pieces nobody gives a shit about and gave people more places to sit instead.

[KevinT]

Don't you be dissing the cat on a bicycle and the birbs. I LOVE those pieces!

[SF22]

The bendy spine piece near the hospital is one of my faves!