ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Square]

We spotted 506 (!) wearing 8.5x11 nameplates heading up Charles on our way home tonight, around 6pm. That’s the latest I think I’ve ever seen them out!

My other half said he heard on the radio that they needed to turn it around in the yard for tomorrow’s testing.

The train was loaded with mass.

Was that the one with the broken door?  If so, must have fixed it.  Thank you.

[Canard]

The door wasn’t necessarily broken - it was forced open by vandals. You’re welcome!

[avernar]

They're working on the crossing gates on Columbia. One of the pedestrian ones was being a little stubborn.

[bgb_ca]

So I just witnessed a. "idiot"

I was on the route 7 heading towards Grand River hospital. Some idiot in a black pickup truck pulled onto the south bound tracks by Allan, and proceeded to the next intersection and made a right hand turn in front of the bus.

Truck has no markings and buddy driving didn't have a vest on, so I doubt it was a work crew.

[Canard]

I’ve been asked to put out an APB to all ion fans....

Please, please, please stay clear of the tracks during testing.

Apparently, people were standing on the rapidway today taking photos and video today.

This not only is super dangerous, but it slows down testing.

Thanks!

[KevinL]

Speaking of activity on the rapidway, this crew was doing a repair in as small a space as they could arrange.

[Markster]

Over in the planning and works agenda, i noticed a really interesting thing on page 61, a conceptual option for "Stage 3".

They had a dotted line running from Connestoga Mall south on King Street, then heading west down University and Erb St to Ira Needles.

Interesting concept.

[jgsz]

Over in the planning and works agenda, i noticed a really interesting thing on page 61, a conceptual option for "Stage 3".

They had a dotted line running from Connestoga Mall south on King Street, then heading west down University and Erb St to Ira Needles.

Interesting concept.

It is also interesting to see a potential GO station in Breslau including a rail alignment to the airport.

[Canard]

They had a dotted line running from Connestoga Mall south on King Street, then heading west down University and Erb St to Ira Needles.

This pleases me:

   

This means that the technology choice is open. (Even though we all know it’s 98% certain to be LRT/Tram)

...better sharpen up my PowerPoint skills.

[C Plus]

Over in the planning and works agenda, i noticed a really interesting thing on page 61, a conceptual option for "Stage 3".

They had a dotted line running from Connestoga Mall south on King Street, then heading west down University and Erb St to Ira Needles.

Interesting concept.

Also, the line running down Victoria (west). Not much room in between Park st. and Lawrence, albeit it would be a one way line. I often wonder if the region/city is secretly buying properties along Victoria for future expansion, for road expansion at the very least.

[ijmorlan]

This means that the technology choice is open. (Even though we all know it’s 98% certain to be LRT/Tram)

...better sharpen up my PowerPoint skills.

Unfortunately, in this case “RT” means they might settle for BRT. I’d say it’s about a 30% change LRT, 70% chance BRT, rounding error all other possibilities combined. Now that we have an LRT system, all future non-bus expansion will be LRT. The new line will not require more maintenance facilities; they would just have to add some additional storage tracks to the OMSF. So the plus side is that the per-km cost of an expansion will be less, until we get to such a large system that the existing maintenance spaces are insufficient.

[Canard]

I think I know what they were doing in the photo at Queen. I was just by Erb/Caroline and something caught my eye - there are now cross-drilled holes in the rail head where the flange would be. My suspicion is they’re changing how the lubricators will function; looks like they’ll now directly inject grease through the rail. This seems far more robust than the orange urethane pads which were installed a few years ago (half of which are already missing or damaged).

[Canard]

Actually, looking at the configuration at Conestoga, I think this was likely the plan all along. The standard wipers are still there. But the lubricator in the roadway never had a urethane pad... it just had the steel cover.

So, my guess is they were always planing to hold off on drilling those holes, until just before the lubricators were planned on being commissioned... so the holes didn’t get filled with 2 years of road grit and crap. Once they’re turned on, they’ll always be pumping out lube.

[tomh009]

Unfortunately, in this case “RT” means they might settle for BRT. I’d say it’s about a 30% change LRT, 70% chance BRT, rounding error all other possibilities combined. Now that we have an LRT system, all future non-bus expansion will be LRT. The new line will not require more maintenance facilities; they would just have to add some additional storage tracks to the OMSF. So the plus side is that the per-km cost of an expansion will be less, until we get to such a large system that the existing maintenance spaces are insufficient.

Why do you reckon 70/30 BRT? We chose LRT for the first two phases, and at this time we would have additional LRT efficiencies.

[jeffster]

Over in the planning and works agenda, i noticed a really interesting thing on page 61, a conceptual option for "Stage 3".

They had a dotted line running from Connestoga Mall south on King Street, then heading west down University and Erb St to Ira Needles.

Interesting concept.

Also, the line running down Victoria (west). Not much room in between Park st. and Lawrence, albeit it would be a one way line. I often wonder if the region/city is secretly buying properties along Victoria for future expansion, for road expansion at the very least.

Victoria Street was in the initial LRT design, back in the 90's IIRC, then dropped. It would have been "Line 2".