ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[tomh009]

April 2019 seems pretty realistic to me.

I would go with sometime in April. All the pieces are in place to do it. Unless they run into a new problem ...

[ijmorlan]

It would have been standard, if Metrolinx had spec’d it in a timely manner.

They did not. This is the whole reason the project is so woefully delayed!

They dragged their heels so much with it that finally the Region had no choice but to strike it out on their own. And they did so a year after the system was originally supposed to be in revenue service.

But, the media and the public? “It’s all Bombardier’s fault.”

/rant

PS, Bombardier makes their own system called CITYFLO. Our trains could have been standard, as you say, but the choice was by others not to go this route.

Thanks for the link. I suspect I’m going to lose part of my next weekend to that …

I’d feel better if I was confident we were going to use the exact same system as Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga, etc. but I’m not feeling at all confident about that.

[timc]

Wasn't the problem that Metrolinx didn't have their system yet, and that is why we had to source other parts?

[trainspotter139]

Wasn't the problem that Metrolinx didn't have their system yet, and that is why we had to source other parts?

Metrolinx has lagged behind on a lot of aspects of this vehicle project beyond just the delays in equipment installation. Those delays have caused the majority of the delays in the project, while Metrolinx and the Region are still toeing the line that Bombardier is responsible for all the delays.

[timc]

What I mean is, how could we have the same system that is being used in those other places when that system doesn't even exist?

[Canard]

You literally just said what the problem is - Metrolinx is taking forever to figure out their end of the vehicle procurement process, specifying what they want.

We are out of time - we were out of time a year ago. We had to give up on waiting for them to figure out what "the thing" was going to be.

[ijmorlan]

I’d feel better if I was confident we were going to use the exact same system as Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga, etc. but I’m not feeling at all confident about that.

To clarify, I would feel better if I was confident that Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga, etc. were going to use the exact same system as us.

Mathematically identical, but with a different connotation.

Ideally, Metrolinx would have figured something out faster, maybe even one of Bombardier’s options, and we would just use it along with the rest of the GTA. Now, my hope is that our system does what the rest of the GTA needs and they can just do the same.

[plam]

Do we need to see more than 4 trains out as the next step? Have we? I've seen 3 trains in quick succession, but haven't counted how many are actually out simultaneously.

[Canard]

The most I've ever heard of or seen out is 4, but that's if the stars align. Usually it's less (breakdowns, lunch breaks, etc.).

I think that yes, the next "big step" would be seeing more and more vehicles out on the line. I would personally (selfishly?) rather see the 50 km/h speed restriction lifted, first! Dying to see top speed on the spurs, especially with a nice cloud of snow kicking up behind.

[trainspotter139]

The most I've ever heard of or seen out is 4, but that's if the stars align.  Usually it's less (breakdowns, lunch breaks, etc.).

I think that yes, the next "big step" would be seeing more and more vehicles out on the line.  I would personally (selfishly?) rather see the 50 km/h speed restriction lifted, first!  Dying to see top speed on the spurs, especially with a nice cloud of snow kicking up behind.

both are mutually exclusive. They can't lift the 50 km/h speed limit without the ATP system fully tested and they can't have more than 5 out without the ATP system fully tested because of the lack of physical signals along the ATP sections.

[plam]

I just heard on the radio that they're running the trains all night tonight. Also there's a train containing VIPs somewhere along the track.

[bgb_ca]

I just heard on the radio that they're running the trains all night tonight. Also there's a train containing VIPs somewhere along the track.

I saw 511 heading south bound a few mins ago

[trainspotter139]

I just heard on the radio that they're running the trains all night tonight. Also there's a train containing VIPs somewhere along the track.

I think they're doing inspections which is weird considering the weather outside.

[Bob_McBob]

I was driving around downtown Kitchener earlier and it was surprisingly hard to see where the tracks were with the snow covering them since no trains had been by recently.

[KevinL]

I passed through downtown about an hour ago. The northbound tracks were barely visible; the southbound had the drifts nicely carved into an LRV-shaped hollow, with the tracks just visible at the bottom.