ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

3/3 - Week of March 13-17, 2017

   
Driver's facilities. No ion logo (yet) but the lights were on inside!

   
Absolutely loving the ceramic tiles here on this anchor wall. They really pop!

   
I don't like complaining, but I think it's a dick move to spend effort putting up a new big fence here while the sidewalk/MUT still isn't complete.

   
Looking South at the King St. Grade Separation, from King. If the tracks are connected in the distance, here, we might be at 100% completion. Duke is 100% complete, and Frederick at King is the only other place I can think of where things might not be totally connected yet. Kevin?

   
Interesting transition from ballasted to embedded track, in a curve, with a restraining rail. I thought based on the configuration at Borden/Hayward/Courtland, this was undesirable. I guess not!

[KevinL]

Last I looked, the rail was cut and aligned but I couldn't clearly see the weld. I'll try to get another look today.

As for the Conestoga facility, I can see that opening early for the benefit of the GRT drivers there.

[SammyOES2]

Do they just throw those stoplights out? I assume at least some of them still work?

[KevinL]

As I had thought, the rails are in alignment but are only cut - no weld is in place.

This is true at both Frederick station and Kitchener CIty Hall, for the record.

[Coke6pk]

Not sure if this belongs in iON or GRT, but I noticed yesterday crews removing signage and equipment from Burger King at Wilson/Fairway. Also noticed outside signage from Crabby Joes is gone too.

Coke

[Coke6pk]

The reliable website Transit Toronto has just posted a comprehensive article on rail transit in our Region, from the early horse-drawn days up to the planned completion of Ion. Some of our community helped out, as well.

A HISTORY OF ELECTRIC TRANSIT IN WATERLOO REGION, INCLUDING THE ION LRT

When it opens in early 2018, it will be the first rail rapid transit line to operate in Ontario outside the Greater Toronto Area...

Ottawa?

Coke

[Canard]

Ottawa's LRT opens after ours.

[Coke6pk]

Ottawa's LRT opens after ours.

Didn't the Trillium Line open in 2001?

Coke

[Coke6pk]

Question about the gate crossings at Courtland and Block Line.

There are a bunch now installed, mostly for (I assume) pedestrian crossings.

What confuses me, is unlike other intersections where they have the LED "NO RIGHT TURN - TRAIN" lights, this intersection has a railway crossing facing eastbound Courtland traffic. Will there be a gate arm for just the right lane or will all traffic stop? What are the legalities of driving straight down Courtland (but past a flashing railway crossing)?

Anyone with the answers?

Coke

[Canard]

Didn't the Trillium Line open in 2001?

Sure, but it's a DMU...

[Markster]

EMU elitism!

The poor O-Train. No one thinks of the O-Train.

I think they really mean the first rapid transit trunk route. The O-Train was always a bit of an odd line that felt a little separate from the rest of the system. And until a few years ago, it was on 15 minute frequency, which is pretty infrequent, for a rail line.

[Canard]

The poor O-Train. No one thinks of the O-Train.

Hey, I actually like the darn thing. It's cute. I haven't actually taken a ride on their new trains, yet.

Anyone with the answers?

I too was surprised to see them, and I had assumed also that the barrier there adjacent to the right turn lane was going to only block the right turn lane.

Perhaps they watched some of the dashcam footage from the Houston LRV's...

[boatracer]

Not sure if this belongs in iON or GRT, but I noticed yesterday crews removing signage and equipment from Burger King at Wilson/Fairway.  Also noticed outside signage from Crabby Joes is gone too.

Coke

The bus stops will be moving out of the Fairway Mall parking lot to this corner location.  It will have park and ride parking spots and a small drivers rest building.

[Coke6pk]

Not sure if this belongs in iON or GRT, but I noticed yesterday crews removing signage and equipment from Burger King at Wilson/Fairway.  Also noticed outside signage from Crabby Joes is gone too.

Coke

The bus stops will be moving out of the Fairway Mall parking lot to this corner location.  It will have park and ride parking spots and a small drivers rest building.

Oh I knew what was going in there, for some reason thought there was an iON connection too.  Should of posted in GRT...

Coke

[KevinL]

As I had thought, the rails are in alignment but are only cut - no weld is in place.

This is true at both Frederick station and Kitchener CIty Hall, for the record.

Okay, despite looking this over when I took the pictures I'm just realizing something - I'm not sure welds are intended here. These rails appear to be bolted at these spots.

I didn't catch on at first because the rubber is wrapped around them, but if you look closer you can see bolt plates.

Here's Frederick:



And that one connection, up close:


Kitchener City Hall: