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Metrolinx: Bombardier Flexity Freedom & Alstom Citadis Spirit LRVs

Reecemartin said:
Suprising how Ottawa seems to be building out their system so fast. I'm suprised it hasn't been extended to Gatineau? I'm always suprised that the only rt in Quebec is in Montreal.
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They are talking about an extension of the o-train into downtown on the Quebec side, but the exact routing hasn't been decided yet, other than that it will connect into the BRT they've built on that side of the river (called Rapibus). A major transitway station that will become barely used at the Rideau Center after the confed line opens will now be the main Rapibus station downtown. They decided to go BRT in Gatineau with an eventual conversion to light rail. That was Ottawa's plan too, but there wasn't really any reuse of the old transitway stations except for St. Laurent (which was already underground). I think KW has proven you can have light rail in smaller cities, but Gatineau and other mid size cities like Quebec and Winnipeg still subscribe to the rail is a big city thing thought pattern. Given that you essentially have to spend almost as much converting as building brand new line it really isn't worth it to build BRT first.
 
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^ As best I can tell no. The pilot remains in Millhaven.

A "file picture" of it was added to this article in December 2017 about the vehicle order cut.

2BBjKAZ
 
Kyle Campbell said:
I don't think there's any reason not too, but I thought the TTC made a big deal about advertising the TRs as completely open without them, and thus PR wise it would seem a step backwards since introducing them elsewhere is "old fashioned". That's not a unique to Toronto thing. Here in Ottawa we're building a light metro, so why would we bother using low floor cars? The answer was the original intention when the vehicles were ordered was that things would be more like the crosstown. Towards the edges at grade crossings and less elaborate stations, but just as all of that was finalized the Via rail double decker crash happened, and so now anything but full grade separation here is now politically untenable.
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I think the advantage with going LFLRV is that if the City ever does decide to do an at-grade extension (the original plan's track ROW through Riverside South and Barrhaven comes to mind), then it will be compatible. It keeps the door open to a setup similar to Boston's Green Line, though obviously significantly more modern. You're right that the City has gone "100% grade separated or nothing" thus far, but I think that's also a function of building the core segments first, which will have higher ridership and thus require a higher capacity that only grade separation can provide.

Once we start seeing extensions out into the beyond-the-greenbelt burbs, I think we may start to see some at-grade segments. I think a big reason why the Orleans segment is grade separated is because it's running right next to an expressway, so most of the grade separation is already done for it.

Kyle Campbell said:
They are talking about an extension of the o-train into downtown on the Quebec side, but the exact routing hasn't been decided yet, other than that it will connect into the BRT they've built on that side of the river (called Rapibus). A major transitway station that will become barely used at the Rideau Center after the confed line opens will now be the main Rapibus station downtown. They decided to go BRT in Gatineau with an eventual conversion to light rail. That was Ottawa's plan too, but there wasn't really any reuse of the old transitway stations except for St. Laurent (which was already underground). I think KW has proven you can have light rail in smaller cities, but Gatineau and other mid size cities like Quebec and Winnipeg still subscribe to the rail is a big city thing thought pattern. Given that you essentially have to spend almost as much converting as building brand new line it really isn't worth it to build BRT first.
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The issue IMO is that any LRT connection to Gatineau would still involve a transfer at Bayview in order to get downtown. At least with the current setup, STO riders have a direct-to-downtown Ottawa connection. Yes, it would be nice to have a connected system, but the reality would be that it would add at least one, possibly two transfers onto the commutes of everyone who's coming from Gatineau to Downtown Ottawa.
 
Kyle Campbell said:
Has metrolinx actually taken delivery of any vehicle, prototype or otherwise yet? It seems quiet on that front.
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The vehicles delivered to Waterloo Region's Ion system are identical to the double-ended Metrolinx prototype. They have three of fourteen at the moment: 502 has "foam fingers" attached for clearance verification pull testing, 504 began powered tests on the pull tested sections of the line last week, and 503 will be joining it this week. (501 was delivered partially complete for clearance tests of the equipment in the maintenance facility, and went back to Millhaven two weeks ago for completion.) Pics and video of these units can be found in the Ion thread.
 
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KevinT said:
The vehicles delivered to Waterloo Region's Ion system are identical to the double-ended Metrolinx prototype. They have three of fourteen at the moment: 502 has "foam fingers" attached for clearance verification pull testing, 504 began powered tests on the pull tested sections of the line last week, and
503 will be joining it this week. (501 was delivered partially complete for clearance tests of the equipment in the maintenance facility, and went back to Millhaven two weeks ago for completion.) Pics and video of these units can be found in the Ion thread.
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I knew Waterloo has a few, was just curious if any of the metrolinx order had been completed. I'm guessing they want to get all of the ion vehicles done first
 
Kyle Campbell said:
I knew Waterloo has a few, was just curious if any of the metrolinx order had been completed. I'm guessing they want to get all of the ion vehicles done first
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I keep wondering where Metrolinx would put them if Bombardier did deliver at this point. All they could do right now is park the flatcar somewhere, climb aboard it, kick at a wheel and say "Yep, that's a train..."
 
jordanmkasla2009 said:
Sure there are tracks there... Whether they are finished or not is another story.
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And.... tracks alone are not enough. They need the shop finished and signed off, and they need overhead power finished and signed off. And enough other work finished so the overhead can be energised without creating risk for the remaining construction work.

- Paul
 
What's the expected timeframe for the MSF to be complete? Ottawa's was finished quite early in the project, but it had to be because it's where the vehicles were being assembled.
 
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