ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

I imagined the signs prohibiting people from being on the platforms was caused by people standing on them to film and take photos. People were getting waaay too close, probably making the operators nervous and making training more difficult.

[plam]

On a completely different note, I noticed that there was a contractor applying salt to the Waterloo Park station platform on Tuesday. I guess it's still a slip and fall liability to probably GrandLinq even if marked closed.

This boggles the mind, the justification they gave for closing them was that they weren't going to be winter maintained.  So now they're closed just for spite?

Out of curiosity, was the contractor parked outside of a bike lane this time? I complained to Grandlink/Region a few weeks back when the bike lane (which was actually plowed) was blocked by grandlinq contractor.

As you know, I'm pretty sensitive to people parking in bike lanes. The contractor was in a small vehicle (golf buggy sized?) parked on the platform, as I recall.

[danbrotherston]

This boggles the mind, the justification they gave for closing them was that they weren't going to be winter maintained.  So now they're closed just for spite?

Out of curiosity, was the contractor parked outside of a bike lane this time? I complained to Grandlink/Region a few weeks back when the bike lane (which was actually plowed) was blocked by grandlinq contractor.

As you know, I'm pretty sensitive to people parking in bike lanes. The contractor was in a small vehicle (golf buggy sized?) parked on the platform, as I recall.

I as well, in the previous instance, the contractor had unloaded the small vehicle from a large van with trailer parked in the bike lane. I'm sure you would have noticed if it was there .

[Canard]

It seems as though all of the LRV's go back to the OMSF for some reason about 4 or 5pm, then come out for a few hours after that. I typically flip on the radio on my way home from work, and the last several days my drive home has coincided with when all of the LRV's do their prep to come back out, so I end up missing seeing them by the time I get home.

I wonder if something happened when they were parked for their break at Borden or at another station, and thus, they are to take their breaks inside the protection of the yard.

[plam]

It seems as though all of the LRV's go back to the OMSF for some reason about 4 or 5pm, then come out for a few hours after that.  I typically flip on the radio on my way home from work, and the last several days my drive home has coincided with when all of the LRV's do their prep to come back out, so I end up missing seeing them by the time I get home.

I wonder if something happened when they were parked for their break at Borden or at another station, and thus, they are to take their breaks inside the protection of the yard.

It sounds like a second shift of LRT testing per day to me?

[Spokes]

It seems as though all of the LRV's go back to the OMSF for some reason about 4 or 5pm, then come out for a few hours after that.  I typically flip on the radio on my way home from work, and the last several days my drive home has coincided with when all of the LRV's do their prep to come back out, so I end up missing seeing them by the time I get home.

I wonder if something happened when they were parked for their break at Borden or at another station, and thus, they are to take their breaks inside the protection of the yard.

Nap time.

[Canard]

It sounds like a second shift of LRT testing per day to me?

Well, that'd be a pretty short second shift then, since they wrap it up around 9pm (ie, last train is back to bed by 9). So a 3 hour shift for a new crew? That's pretty short...

I wonder what the next big "event" will be, all we've been doing for months is 4 trains out at most at a time, operator training. Hopefully more trains out, and finally being allowed to break the 50 km/h limit?

[trainspotter139]

It sounds like a second shift of LRT testing per day to me?

Well, that'd be a pretty short second shift then, since they wrap it up around 9pm (ie, last train is back to bed by 9).  So a 3 hour shift for a new crew?  That's pretty short...

I wonder what the next big "event" will be, all we've been doing for months is 4 trains out at most at a time, operator training.  Hopefully more trains out, and finally being allowed to break the 50 km/h limit?

They were testing signal blocks yesterday with 511 and 512 (first just 511 with a simulated train) so it's possible that they could lift the limit sometime soon.

[JJTL]

It seems as though all of the LRV's go back to the OMSF for some reason about 4 or 5pm, then come out for a few hours after that.  I typically flip on the radio on my way home from work, and the last several days my drive home has coincided with when all of the LRV's do their prep to come back out, so I end up missing seeing them by the time I get home.

I wonder if something happened when they were parked for their break at Borden or at another station, and thus, they are to take their breaks inside the protection of the yard.

I wonder if they have been avoiding doing operator training during the "rush hour" time frame?

[Canard]

That actually sounds entirely plausible!

To be honest, I’m amazed we’ve had nearly a year of (very limited) operations under our belt without a single LRV-Pedestrian or LRV-Automobile conflict yet. Houston had 70+ Accidents the first year.

[ijmorlan]

Does anybody know how FIE installation is going? The last I was aware, all 14 LRVs were on site, with FIE installed in about 7 of them and presumably work continuing on completing the installation in the remaining vehicles.

[danbrotherston]

That actually sounds entirely plausible!

To be honest, I’m amazed we’ve had nearly a year of (very limited) operations under our belt without a single LRV-Pedestrian or LRV-Automobile conflict yet. Houston had 70+ Accidents the first year.

I'm not, between limited operations and *extremely* cautious operators (coming to a near complete stop at some corners, when facing a green), they're clearly trying to minimize risk.  Also see the plausible suggestion they're avoiding rush hour.

Which bugs me a little bit, when this is operating, it will operate during rush hour.  There are serious problems that need to be rectified before it can operate smoothly (the turn off King in uptown is blocked by cars about 70% of the time I go past).  We've been testing long enough, if we're not comfortable operating in rush hour yet, it just makes me more anxious about timelines.

[Square]

Does anybody know how FIE installation is going? The last I was aware, all 14 LRVs were on site, with FIE installed in about 7 of them and presumably work continuing on completing the installation in the remaining vehicles.

The last report on CTV Kitchener news on around the first week of January stated that all 14 vehicles had the FIE installed! by the end of 2018 (as promised)

[Spokes]

That actually sounds entirely plausible!

To be honest, I’m amazed we’ve had nearly a year of (very limited) operations under our belt without a single LRV-Pedestrian or LRV-Automobile conflict yet. Houston had 70+ Accidents the first year.

70?!?!  Wow!

I'm glad things have gone smoothly.  No ammo for the anti-LRT folk out there

[robdrimmie]

Regarding rush hour, I see a train almost every day at Charles and Stirling at around 8:20, and another pulling into Victoria Park station around 8:30. It's not the worse part of rush, but Charles between Water and Gaukel starts building up with Manulife employees pulling into the garages. Relatedly, I'm pretty impressed by the regularity of it. I wonder if they're running a schedule right now? My guess is they must have to to get the 600 hour burn-in done appropriately, although the trains are almost always empty but for 3-5 GRT staff clustered in the cab.