Metrolinx: Bombardier Flexity Freedom & Alstom Citadis Spirit LRVs

[nfitz]

You do remember the platforms are low floor like Queen's Quay Station. Accidents will be much lower. With a driver or driverless, there is no way to prevent suicide attempts unless they go with PSDs.

I wasn't suggesting trying to stop suicides. I was merely saying what stops the train afterewards without adding a lot of extra $ of tech.

Not sure the lack of elevated platforms is going to lower the suicide potential in an underground station - particularly if the victim is clearly aware the vehicles are unstaffed. I wonder what the Vancouver experience is.

Sure it's easier to attempt suicide and they can just go to the GO train tracks at Mt Dennis, it's free to get there and less people are watching.

Ah, but you don't have the convenient frequency.

 

[muller877]

You do remember the platforms are low floor like Queen's Quay Station. Accidents will be much lower. With a driver or driverless, there is no way to prevent suicide attempts unless they go with PSDs. Sure it's easier to attempt suicide and they can just go to the GO train tracks at Mt Dennis, it's free to get there and less people are watching.

I have pedestrian detection that will stop my car. It can react much quicker than I can to a sudden incident (which is the most likely for a suicide attempt). Most auto companies have it either standard or as an option now (the undisputed king of it is Volvo).

Don't know how it would be difficult for a transit vehicle to have the same. And even better it'll significantly reduce the risk of PTSD for employees.

 

[44 North]

Hmm... I'm wondering if trains or lead cars could be equipped with some kind of automatically-deployed net or screen. When a human or pram-sized object hops in front of the train, the lidar sensor would detect it immediately and eject a cow catcher type bumper. The ped would be pushed along the track and wouldn't escape injury, but they also wouldn't get mangled up underneath the train or its wheels. Wonder if anything like this has been considered for a rapid transit system.

 

[Duck]

Why actually...

 

[44 North]

Haha, excellent. See I thought something like this would be possible, or inevitable. But I was very much expecting angry insults and trolling about supposed impossibility.

Wonder if the Freedoms will have this, or could have it added later on.

 

[APTA-2048]

Health and safety continues to be a strong focus for UITP’s members and BodyGuardTM is a safety system for light rail vehicles currently in development with Bombardier and Technical University Zurich. In the case of a possible frontal collision between vehicle and pedestrian, an airbag automatically deploys, closing the gap between road and vehicle. This technology, which prevents the pedestrian from being caught under the vehicle, has only been made possible due to the development of highly sensitive sensors.

 

[crs1026]

Likely manufactured by Takata.

Love that Bombardier supply chain.

- Paul

 

[Catenary]

Ottawa's LRT will use SelTrac CBTC with a driver, but the trains will operate unmanned within the yard, so they can park and ready themselves automatically. I don't know if this will extend to the trains entering the mainline and going to the nearest station, nothing so far has indicated that.

All of this discussion about the cost of getting fully driverless trains, and Ottawa is doing it just so the trains can run around the yard.

 

[Duck]

Well, it's implied that there is a "cost" to it - but if you already have ATP or ATC, yard movements may cost you nothing in hardware. So why not use it?

 

[Steve X]

Well, it's implied that there is a "cost" to it - but if you already have ATP or ATC, yard movements may cost you nothing in hardware. So why not use it?

The cost is rather low when it's software only. They can have it designed by Bombardier elsewhere and uploaded onto the LRV.

 

[Duck]

I think it's a bit more complicated than that - but you've got the idea.

 

[Duck]

Region of Waterloo Councillor Tom Galloway was on 570 News yesterday taking calls and questions about the ion Project. When the topic of Bombardier came up, he stressed that there is some "wiggle room" in the schedule for the delivery of the trains, but that the first one is still on-time (late summer/fall 2016). He aluded that subsequent trains might have delays.

 

[APTA-2048]

So I made a little Bombardier fan art (pen sketch + Photoshop render)...


Toronto Light Rail livery concept by Adrian Badaraco, on Flickr


With the lines owned by Metrolinx and operated by the TTC, I decided to come up with a livery concept that attempts to integrate both brands.

 

[Johnny Au]

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[APTA-2048]

Should work now.