Outlook and Freedom are both modular and many of the modular components are identical and/or stretched. They're not that different, and they'll be built by all of the same "hands". So they're a lot more alike than you're suggesting. Let me know if you want me to list the technical differences and I'll be happy to get into that.
What I'm most interested in seeing is how Bombardier will bump up our Freedom LFLRV's in the big ol' Gantt chart up on their wall in comparison to Toronto's 2 big orders. Obviously we need our trains - Toronto not so much, as they have committed to refurbishing a bunch of CLRV/ALRV's due to the delays. We have no trains to fall back on. And Crosstown is still at least 5 years away. So I really hope they'll let us jump the queue, so to speak, so our system can stay on-time.
G:linq (Gold Coast Light Rail) is the most recent similar project to ours (many of the same system partners) but their trains were made at Bombardier's Vienna facility.
We were due to take delivery of our first train in a little over 1 year. I suspect that Bombardier will send a single unit as soon as possible (early next year) once the tracks up near the OMSF are complete for testing. Toronto doesn't have any standard gauge track yet to run trains on (Streetcar is broad, Eglinton is Standard but not built yet), so the only other place they could test them out is in Thunder Bay (and by that, I mean pushing it around with a Diesel shunter - they have no powered track there, little more than a small switching yard). Kingston doesn't have any catenary and is only for ICTS/ALRT (LIM, 3rd rail) and Monorail. So it's very likely that the first track and powered run that a Freedom LFLRV ever takes will be right here in Waterloo region. As a rail fan, I can't tell you how exciting that is.
What I'm most interested in seeing is how Bombardier will bump up our Freedom LFLRV's in the big ol' Gantt chart up on their wall in comparison to Toronto's 2 big orders. Obviously we need our trains - Toronto not so much, as they have committed to refurbishing a bunch of CLRV/ALRV's due to the delays. We have no trains to fall back on. And Crosstown is still at least 5 years away. So I really hope they'll let us jump the queue, so to speak, so our system can stay on-time.
G:linq (Gold Coast Light Rail) is the most recent similar project to ours (many of the same system partners) but their trains were made at Bombardier's Vienna facility.
We were due to take delivery of our first train in a little over 1 year. I suspect that Bombardier will send a single unit as soon as possible (early next year) once the tracks up near the OMSF are complete for testing. Toronto doesn't have any standard gauge track yet to run trains on (Streetcar is broad, Eglinton is Standard but not built yet), so the only other place they could test them out is in Thunder Bay (and by that, I mean pushing it around with a Diesel shunter - they have no powered track there, little more than a small switching yard). Kingston doesn't have any catenary and is only for ICTS/ALRT (LIM, 3rd rail) and Monorail. So it's very likely that the first track and powered run that a Freedom LFLRV ever takes will be right here in Waterloo region. As a rail fan, I can't tell you how exciting that is.