TTC: Flexity Streetcars Testing & Delivery (Bombardier)

[nfitz]

Next TTC board meeting on September 28. The motion was deferred from the previous (July 29 meeting).

If we are lucky, then TTC will cancel the contract, and return the current 8 vehicles to Thunder Bay, and we can enjoy CLRVs for the next 15 years. (not)

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

Next TTC board meeting on September 28. The motion was deferred from the previous (July 29 meeting).

If we are lucky, then TTC will cancel the contract, and return the current 8 vehicles to Thunder Bay, and we can enjoy CLRVs for the next 15 years. (not)

More likely, they'll return the 8 cars to Bombardier and approve a massive CLRV rebuild program to keep them running for another 15 years ..... which they'll award to ... Bombardier!

 

[Megaton327]

Brad has tweeted: "New streetcar 4410 is now in service on the 510 Spadina. This is the ninth lowfloor streetcar now in service." However it does not seem to be showing up on nextbus/transee/etc., tracking on them has been spotty at best. 510 seems to lose virtually every car on the Queen's Quay leg, and 4403+4404 seem to have lost their GPS altogether (saw them multiple times over the past week with no tracking).

Also, I just realized, it's been a while without any update on the tap credit/debit readers for single fare purchases at the single-ride fare vending machines on the LFLRVs (and those select offboard stops with machines). I think Brad had previously said June-July; as the York concourse and UPX were opening I heard a report that as the same readers are used for the self-serve reload kiosk and the LFLRV fare machine, Metrolinx wanted the readers for the presto kiosks and did not have enough to spare for the LFLRVs. There have been multiple instances recently where I've been aboard an LFLRV, two adults board and want to pay with a $5 bill and a $1 coin--which would be perfectly possible on a CLRV/ALRV--and can't because the machines don't take bills; the presto rep (when present) then has no explanation for why paying with bills has become unavailable when the old streetcars had it, and the passengers ask if it takes Visa. Would be very useful, I think, for those still confused by them.

 

[nfitz]

4403 is showing up right now on 510.

A couple of time the weekend before last all 8 cars were showing up, so doesn't seem to be a systemic problem with the GPS. Nextbus themselves sometimes lose the predictions, particularly if they've just turned, but they always show up at http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=vehicleLocations&a=ttc&r=509&t=0 or http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=vehicleLocations&a=ttc&r=510&t=0 with a "predictable=false".

Oh, here's 4410 - at Roncs showing route 317 - http://webservices.nextbus.com/service/publicXMLFeed?command=vehicleLocations&a=ttc&r=317&t=0

At midnight ... 4410 is in service running on Spadina.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

So any ideas when we can expect to see 4411?

 

[ehlow]

So any ideas when we can expect to see 4411?

Didn't the last schedule say the delivery rate should significantly increase this month? Hopefully it actually happens..

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Didn't the last schedule say the delivery rate should significantly increase this month? Hopefully it actually happens..

Isn't it supposed to be four a month starting now or this one three and October four. Also does that include the prototypes returning or are they considered separate from the scheduled ones.

 

[interchange42]

Here's the official word re: 4410

Ninth new TTC streetcar enters service

September 9, 2015

The TTC's ninth new low-floor streetcar, car number 4410, entered service on the 510 Spadina route yesterday afternoon.

The new streetcar is equipped with PRESTO machines and ticket validators to allow customers to pay their fare. The machines will also allow customers without a smartcard to purchase a single-ride Proof-of-Payment ticket using coins or tokens.

Both the 510 Spadina and the 509 Harbourfront routes are Proof-of-Payment, allowing customers with a transfer or valid TTC pass to board at any door.

The new car joins the other eight accessible low-floor streetcars in service on the 510 Spadina and 509 Harbourfront routes. The new streetcars feature a higher passenger capacity, air conditioning, and are fully accessible for customers using mobility devices.​

 

[cplchanb]

still waiting for the day that the TTC doesnt have to make the above press release due to the frequency of new arrivals....sad....

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

still waiting for the day that the TTC doesnt have to make the above press release due to the frequency of new arrivals....sad....

hopefully that happens soon

 

[TOareaFan]

 

[TOareaFan]

A story related to the vendor of these new streetcars has "broken"

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bom...hinese-bid-for-its-rail-unit-report-1.3220915

 

[drum118]

View attachment 54422

I guess we will see 19 in service by year end, which means we will see another 10 over the last 4 months. That works out to 2.25 cars per month and a far cry of 4 being toss around or the 1 every 5-7 days.

The number first proposed to be here by year end has drop from about 36 to 20 now and will know the real number come Dec 31.

Time to replace the current builder and re tender the the whole order or X cars up Jan 1st 2016 not delivery as order and the extra 60. Will not see those cars until 2019. What an extra 2 years when it already 8 years behind schedule in the first place.

We can have 2 different supplier delivering these cars to speed up delivery.

What a dog and pony show we are watching, considering I never believe those numbers in the first place.

Come One, Come All, Placing bits as to when 4411 will show up.

 

[the lemur]

Here's the official word re: 4410

Ninth new TTC streetcar enters service

September 9, 2015

The TTC's ninth new low-floor streetcar, car number 4410, entered service on the 510 Spadina route yesterday afternoon.

The new streetcar is equipped with PRESTO machines and ticket validators to allow customers to pay their fare. The machines will also allow customers without a smartcard to purchase a single-ride Proof-of-Payment ticket using coins or tokens.

Both the 510 Spadina and the 509 Harbourfront routes are Proof-of-Payment, allowing customers with a transfer or valid TTC pass to board at any door.

The new car joins the other eight accessible low-floor streetcars in service on the 510 Spadina and 509 Harbourfront routes. The new streetcars feature a higher passenger capacity, air conditioning, and are fully accessible for customers using mobility devices.​

Yep, saw it earlier today.

 

[nfitz]

I guess we will see 19 in service by year end, which means we will see another 10 over the last 4 months. That works out to 2.25 cars per month and a far cry of 4 being toss around or the 1 every 5-7 days.

About 6 weeks ago the Star reported 23 delivered by year-end, of which 20 would be in service. (presumably because deliveries would then be weekly).

So if they are now dropping this to only 20 in the city (presumably delivered), then it's hard to see how more than 18 would be in service.

So have they really dropped the delivery target from 23 to 20? Or does the writer not consider the difference between "delivered" and "in-service".\

Though Bombardier tends to talk about "shipped" and not "delivered". And I suspect the 23 delivered actually meant 23 shipped.

Time to replace the current builder and re tender the the whole order or X cars up Jan 1st 2016 not delivery as order and the extra 60. Will not see those cars until 2019. What an extra 2 years when it already 8 years behind schedule in the first place.

It'll have taken 8 years since the RFP started to get somewhere between 10-20 vehicles in service.

If we really go through with cancelling the contract, and starting a new RFP, say on January 1, 2016 ... then really we can only hope to have deliveries ramping up in 2023. Maybe 2022 if things really go well. And then deliveries through at least 2025.

If Bombardier can ultimately get their act together, and start delivering 4 cars a month, then it will be faster.

Costs would go up two ... what with nearly a decade of inflation ... and Bombardier bidding about $5 million per vehicles compared to about $7.5 million by the next closest bidder.

So why do something that would both delay things, and cost more money, unless there are significant quality issues. And all reports have been that the quality of the vehicles in service is quite good.