ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[danbrotherston]

Still have my fingers crossed opening gets bumped to Spring 2019; absolutely do not want opening day to be in the winter (so gross!!).  Have been dreaming of this day for years, we don't need it ruined by having it happen in a snowstorm.

Those of us who hope to rely on this transit system for our daily transportation would still like it opened ASAP

Frankly, this is getting ridiculous though.  The equipment necessary is for automatic train control is it not?  Can we drive the trains manually till it's tested?

Seriously though, the scheduled opening date is a year and 3 months late, missing that means what, a year and a half.  So why wasn't this fire started under Bombardier's butts a year and a half before the anticipated launch date when it became clear the specialized equipment wouldn't be ready?  I understand there are problems, but we should have seen them coming long before.

[KevinT]

I can't help but think that a lot of the vehicle delays trace back to politics within Metrolinx. We were never supposed to be the launch customer but with Finch West and the Crosstown delayed and the other Transit City lines flat out cancelled, there was a lot of heel dragging on getting the specs signed off. This was admitted to in the courts when Metrolinx tried and failed to break out of the Bombardier contract completely. Unfortunately our system was the flea on the dog through all of that.

[Chicopee]

Gorgeous shots as always, Matt.

Anyone else finding that the Radio Player is now playing OPP stuff, not LRT chatter?

Yeah it would seem the streams got messed up somehow

Where are you listening? In the past I've used cykf.net, but not recently. It's a great site complete with WRPS police codes.

[tomh009]

Seriously though, the scheduled opening date is a year and 3 months late, missing that means what, a year and a half.  So why wasn't this fire started under Bombardier's butts a year and a half before the anticipated launch date when it became clear the specialized equipment wouldn't be ready?  I understand there are problems, but we should have seen them coming long before.

Notably that delayed equipment is a Grandlinq responsibility, not Bombardier, so I don't think we can lay all the blame at Bombardier's door.

[KevinT]

Also worth noting that Bombardier just shipped the first 7 module vehicle for Edmonton's Valley Line precisely on schedule, and has met their first and second quarter TTC commitments.

[bgb_ca]

Not sure if anyone saw this line

An additional two vehicles are anticipated to be delivered in late June/early July. This will bring the total number of vehicles in Waterloo to eight and will allow testing and driver training to occur simultaneously

Time to start up the #iontracker again?

[jeffster]

Not sure if anyone saw this line

An  additional  two vehicles  are anticipated to be delivered in late June/early  July.   This  will  bring  the total  number  of  vehicles  in  Waterloo to  eight  and will allow  testing  and  driver  training  to  occur  simultaneously

Time to start up the #iontracker again?

Late June?? Late June would be by June 30th...It's the 28th now, I can't see late June happening.

Oh well....I really want to ride this train, but as it stands, what should have been two years of my daughter riding the train to school (after a transfer) has turned into 'not going to happen'. Is what it is.

[Canard]

Those of us who hope to rely on this transit system for our daily transportation would still like it opened ASAP

Maybe I have Stockholm Syndrome... As amazing as opening day will be, I just don’t want for this to be over. The last 3-4 years have been absolutely incredible.

As for your other questions, no, they can’t just temporarily run without it, and it’s not Bombardier’s fault in any way. They are now doing far more than was originally contracted - designing and fabricating custom mounts and doing the installation of this stuff - this was never part of their original scope. The problem is 100% on Metrolinx’ shoulders, who still haven’t figured out the ATC system for Crosstown. If we’d waited for them... we’d be looking at an opening in years, not months.

Fun Perspective: DC Streetcar opened 9 years late.

[ijmorlan]

Those of us who hope to rely on this transit system for our daily transportation would still like it opened ASAP

Maybe I have Stockholm Syndrome... As amazing as opening day will be, I just don’t want for this to be over. The last 3-4 years have been absolutely incredible.

As for your other questions, no, they can’t just temporarily run without it, and it’s not Bombardier’s fault in any way. They are now doing far more than was originally contracted - designing and fabricating custom mounts and doing the installation of this stuff - this was never part of their original scope. The problem is 100% on Metrolinx’ shoulders, who still haven’t figured out the ATC system for Crosstown. If we’d waited for them... we’d be looking at an opening in years, not months.

Fun Perspective: DC Streetcar opened 9 years late.

I want it opened as soon as possible, and I wouldn’t wait for a “nice” day in order for it to happen.

As to Metrolinx, if I may interject a political comment, there is one way in which the Ford PCs are better than the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals: with the PCs you know they are a bull in a china shop, run by a lying idiot. With the Liberals, they say they want to build good transit, but they keep delaying and going along with idiots who want to change the plan from LRT to subways, to the extent that even after 15 years in office, nothing is open and hardly anything is even under construction. There is a certain honesty about the PCs, which is ironic considering Doug Ford’s relationship with the truth.

[JJTL]

570 News this morning was talking about "more delays" for LRT. Didn't give much context, literally said "more delays announced today for the Region's LRT vehicles from Bombardier, are we ever going to get our trains. Tom Galloway will be joining us later to discuss the latest delivery delays from Bombardier".

https://twitter.com/570NEWS/status/1012343264836444160 Appears that Tom is currently live on the show.

Anyone know what this latest "news" is about?

[trainspotter139]

570 News this morning was talking about "more delays" for LRT. Didn't give much context, literally said "more delays announced today for the Region's LRT vehicles from Bombardier, are we ever going to get our trains. Tom Galloway will be joining us later to discuss the latest delivery delays from Bombardier".

https://twitter.com/570NEWS/status/1012343264836444160 Appears that Tom is currently live on the show.

Anyone know what this latest "news" is about?

That the headlines they were running were incorrect and that there is no delay.

[jeffster]

570 News this morning was talking about "more delays" for LRT. Didn't give much context, literally said "more delays announced today for the Region's LRT vehicles from Bombardier, are we ever going to get our trains. Tom Galloway will be joining us later to discuss the latest delivery delays from Bombardier".

https://twitter.com/570NEWS/status/1012343264836444160 Appears that Tom is currently live on the show.

Anyone know what this latest "news" is about?

I tried listening on the Radio Player App (Android with Oreo) but had no love, as it was going about 1/8 speed. It wouldn't load on my MacBook, either with Safari or Chrome.

[trainspotter139]

Heard 2 vehicles on the radio. I think they may be doing paired testing at the OMSF right now. (Accelerate to 10 km/h, e-stop when signalled)

[trainspotter139]

Heard 2 vehicles on the radio. I think they may be doing paired testing at the OMSF right now. (Accelerate to 10 km/h, e-stop when signalled)

Our good friend Jason Li posted some photos of the testing at the OMSF today https://twitter.com/mrjasonli/status/101...3452884992

[JJTL]

570 News this morning was talking about "more delays" for LRT. Didn't give much context, literally said "more delays announced today for the Region's LRT vehicles from Bombardier, are we ever going to get our trains. Tom Galloway will be joining us later to discuss the latest delivery delays from Bombardier".

https://twitter.com/570NEWS/status/1012343264836444160 Appears that Tom is currently live on the show.

Anyone know what this latest "news" is about?

That the headlines they were running were incorrect and that there is no delay.

I wasn't able to tune in, but looks like you're right, Trainspotter. Tom Galloway, set them straight: https://twitter.com/570NEWS/status/1012367515379363840

 "Bombardier has finally made a deadline and the trains are more less factory complete, and as we reported last month in our monthly report on the LRV's, a certain number are going to stay in Kingston to get the GrandLinq equipment installed, and a certain number are already here (Waterloo Region) to get that installed here," Galloway told The Mike Farwell Show on 570 NEWS.

"So there is going to be two locations for the GrandLinq equipment to be installed and that's going to speed up the process." Galloway added.

Certainly feeds the negativity if people just hear the 30 second misinformed bit on the radio, on their way to work.