ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[MidTowner]

That's true, the new launch estimate (not being much of an estimate at all) does offer plenty of wiggle room.

[urbd]

any of the spies in the forum should investigate the actual internal expected launch date... I'm sure there is one!

[tomh009]

Well, I'm sceptical that "Spring, 2018" will be met, I just wanted to point out that they seemed to have given themselves a bit of wiggle room on the launch timing.

Skepticism is OK, but none of us here know when the service will actually start.  Grandlinq and the region will have a plan (which they are not revealing at the moment) but they won't be able to foretell the future, either.

Fortunately we'll know much better roughly six months from now!

[Pheidippides]

any of the spies in the forum should investigate the actual internal expected launch date... I'm sure there is one!

Not that it matters now, but this Gantt chart from the GRT Proposed GRT Business Plan 2017- 2021 back in August showed Ion Revenue Service as of 02-Apr-2018 (ID #32 below) - which is a Monday. So with the slippage in schedule we know they are planning for after that for sure.

[Canard]

Revenue service on a Monday, but the opening ceremony will be on a Saturday or Sunday, likely with free rides all weekend.

[JCnb]

Flexy had it's nose poking out of the maintenance building a second ago with a crew walking around.... could today be the day??

[ijmorlan]

Flexy had it's nose poking out of the maintenance building a second ago with a crew walking around.... could today be the day??

         

[urbd]

yay! finally testing!

https://twitter.com/rideIONrt/status/927901380341243904

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ION LRV testing has started on the <a href="https://twitter.com/RegionWaterloo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RegionWaterloo</a> tracks! Stay tuned for more photos. Please leave space for crews to work safely. <a href="https://t.co/flnfoUnufn">pic.twitter.com/flnfoUnufn</a></p>&mdash; ION (@rideIONrt) <a href="https://twitter.com/rideIONrt/status/927901380341243904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2017</a></blockquote>

[Canard]

Wow, we even made Independent Rail Journal already!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Light rail vehicle testing begins on Waterloo's Ion LRT <a href="https://t.co/LTVc6bbP15">https://t.co/LTVc6bbP15</a> <a href="https://t.co/LWj7FONgoo">pic.twitter.com/LWj7FONgoo</a></p>&mdash; IRJ (@railjournal) <a href="https://twitter.com/railjournal/status/927927105089933313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2017</a></blockquote>

[Markster]

I suspect everyone who reads this forum is already there, but really, you all must go tot he "I Support Light Rail" facebook group. There are lots of photos and videos getting posted there.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/81680629050/

[chutten]

Thanks for the link, Markster. I don't do the faceboo thing, so it's a helpful reference for me.

In Bombardier news, well, not news, I ran across this slickly-produced video essay about Bombardier's C-series airplanes. It's a heckuva story.

[trainspotter139]

Tom Galloway has told 570News that powered testing may happen as early as next week!
http://www.570news.com/2017/11/07/ion-te...aterloo-2/

[KevinL]

Note that they were only testing the southbound track today - the train was not switched over when they got to Erb. They're checking how it works northbound on that track as well - presumably another day will see the other track checked.

[trainspotter139]

Note that they were only testing the southbound track today - the train was not switched over when they got to Erb. They're checking how it works northbound on that track as well - presumably another day will see the other track checked.

Testing is today and Tomorrow according to Tom Galloway!

[jamincan]

So the testing is only between the OMSF and Erb? I guess this is to clear the track for other testing and the rest of the system will get a pull-through at a later date?