ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Bob_McBob]

And here's the Record's take: https://www.therecord.com/news-story/802...dier-deal/

'On Thursday, Metrolinx said the new agreement has improved terms, including "significant financial penalties" if vehicles aren't delivered on time or if the quality is not acceptable.

'Schmidt said the new deal also includes firmer dates, "which hopefully should motivate Bombardier to get the vehicles done."'

"The region's light rail service from Waterloo to Kitchener was initially expected to launch in July 2017"

Really, Record? REALLY?  

[DHLawrence]

And they didn't even get Jeff to write it.

[ijmorlan]

And here's the Record's take: https://www.therecord.com/news-story/802...dier-deal/

'On Thursday, Metrolinx said the new agreement has improved terms, including "significant financial penalties" if vehicles aren't delivered on time or if the quality is not acceptable.

'Schmidt said the new deal also includes firmer dates, "which hopefully should motivate Bombardier to get the vehicles done."'

"The region's light rail service from Waterloo to Kitchener was initially expected to launch in July 2017"

Really, Record? REALLY?  

I don’t understand what you’re getting at. Is that launch date not accurate?

[danbrotherston]

@ijmorlan. That was never a launch date. The project launch date started in "fall"/September 2017. July was never suggested by anyone except missinformed people trying to make the delay sound worse than it is, and now also the record.

[UrbanCanoe]

Crews are out plowing the tracks this morning.

I noticed someone dragging a suitcase through the snow skip over onto the freshly plowed tracks as the sidewalk they were on hasn't been cleared yet. How not, I guess.

   

[MidTowner]

It's kind of bizarre that we're clearing tracks that aren't being used (and right away, apparently), but not sidewalks.

[timio]

Different responsibilities. Region/cities for sidewalks, Grandlinq for tracks.

[SammyOES]

Are there places where the tracks and road are close enough that snow clearing is going to be a "last person to do it wins" type of situation? Like Grandlinq plows the tracks and throws a bunch of snow along the edge of the roadway and then the city comes and plows it all right back onto the tracks?

[drum118]

How Metrolinx's cuts with Bombardier deal will impact KW http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-...-1.4461504

[ijmorlan]

@ijmorlan. That was never a launch date. The project launch date started in "fall"/September 2017.  July was never suggested by anyone except missinformed people trying to make the delay sound worse than it is, and now also the record.

OK, I get what you’re saying. I actually had the understanding that it was “Fall 2017”, then when they put signs on the spur line trail there was that weird “trail closed overnight until July 2017” which made no sense but happens to mention the same month, then more recently I thought I saw something else about originally intending to open in July, so I thought maybe that actually was the originally-intended opening month.

Soon now!

[plam]

Soon now!

I don't think I've ever written it here, but I've certainly told people from out of town: Sure looks like we have a working train system now. You could be tempted to wait at a LRT stop. Unfortunately it'll still be a couple of months before the first train. But fewer and fewer! Maybe we'll get 503 in time for Christmas.

[KevinL]

I wouldn't be surprised if 503 is put away over the weekend - they don't want it waiting in a yard with potential for vandalism during a holiday.

[bgb_ca]

Has it arrived at the lancaster yard yet?

[Canard]

Nope. The freight train arrived an hour or two ago and it wasn’t on it.

[Canard]

For those lamenting the ploughing of the tracks - have you not noticed the station platforms are always bare concrete, perfectly shoveled and salted?