Montréal Transit Developments

[felix123]

For those living in other cities in Canada without an instant rechargeable transit smart card, are your current services sufficient? Open payment is in many cities. Presto can be recharged within 24h. Is this service something you would like? (if it's not obvious enough, trying to get out of writing a report)

Presto is chargeable instantaneously at self-service machines in stations, and using the app on either Android or Apple devices. The latter since the beginning of time, and the former for 2-3 years.

In addition to what nfitz said, I believe that for TTC, the 24 hour delay until your Presto card registered added funds rarely ever took that long. Prior to the instant updates, Subway turnstiles seemed to be ready in about 1 hour after an online reload, and buses/streetcars would be updated with new Presto balances upon arriving to the garage. This meant that bus/streetcar could update in a few hours, but typically it was safer to just assume by next day.

The Presto android app added instant reload a couple years ago, and iPhone got the feature this year I believe.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Subway turnstiles seemed to be ready in about 1 hour after an online reload, and buses/streetcars would be updated with new Presto balances upon arriving to the garage. This meant that bus/streetcar could update in a few hours, but typically it was safer to just assume by next day.

The TTC has aloways had the sytem update as offten as possible throughout the day they have both wireless and wifi connections for the readers on the buses and streetcars. Don't forget, unlike other systems a bus or Stewetcar in Toronto could be out all night and not return to the garage until much later.

 

[p_xavier]

In addition to what nfitz said, I believe that for TTC, the 24 hour delay until your Presto card registered added funds rarely ever took that long. Prior to the instant updates, Subway turnstiles seemed to be ready in about 1 hour after an online reload, and buses/streetcars would be updated with new Presto balances upon arriving to the garage. This meant that bus/streetcar could update in a few hours, but typically it was safer to just assume by next day.

The Presto android app added instant reload a couple years ago, and iPhone got the feature this year I believe.

Apple made the NFC antenna available for such purpose only this year for iPhones. Hence why transit compagnies took so long to put it a feature that was not that complicated to put in place.

 

[SFO-YYZ]

A big step for the REM-B project: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releas...tion-of-a-notice-to-the-market-895998439.html

Publication of a Notice to the Market in preparation for formal procurement process to begin in 2022-23 period.

REM-B contract to be divided into 4 sub contracts:

1. A contract for the services of an upstream operator, followed by an operation and maintenance contract for the project's infrastructures and assets;
2. A supply contract for the rolling stock and related systems;
3. A design and construction contract for a tunnel;
4. A design and construction contract for civil engineering and elevated work.

Also, not sure if previously discussed, but CDPQi has officially relented to burying part of the REM-B line downtown - it has published a "hybrid" solution where 500 m of the final stretch downtown will be underground.

 

[CharmAlarm]

In other news today:

Plante pledges to kick in $500 million for REM de l'Est light-rail line

By promising more cash up front, Montreal administrators will expect to have more say in how it is developed, the incumbent mayor says.

montrealgazette.com

 

[Northern Light]

In other news today:

Plante pledges to kick in $500 million for REM de l'Est light-rail line

By promising more cash up front, Montreal administrators will expect to have more say in how it is developed, the incumbent mayor says.

montrealgazette.com

From the above:

 

[nfitz]

I'd think that the $500 million that the city is providing is a lot less than the additional costs they want to add to the project.

 

[rbt]

I'd think that the $500 million that the city is providing is a lot less than the additional costs they want to add to the project.

Agreed, even if paid super-early it'll only contribute $1B worth of capital.

That said, moving forward without Council support is nearly impossible; the province rarely overrides their decisions. CDPQ can likely cover a substantial increase in capital cost by reducing the volume discount applied to the base-line 72 cent/km/passenger level provided strong ridership is expected. That'll be a problem for governments subsidizing the fare in 15 years.

 

[p_xavier]

Agreed, even if paid super-early it'll only contribute $1B worth of capital.

That said, moving forward without Council support is nearly impossible; the province rarely overrides their decisions. CDPQ can likely cover a substantial increase in capital cost by reducing the volume discount applied to the base-line 72 cent/km/passenger level provided strong ridership is expected. That'll be a problem for governments subsidizing the fare in 15 years.

? The province usually does, most recently the Quebec City streetcar which had it's route changed because Legault didn't like it.

 

[nephersir7]

Multiple quality issues on the REM trains assembled in India

Défauts, risques de blessures : les trains du REM ne sont « pas au niveau attendu »

Des correctifs sont nécessaires sur des dizaines de voitures fabriquées en Inde afin de garantir la sécurité.

ici.radio-canada.ca

The first REM cars delivered to Quebec from India have flaws and "obvious quality issues", raising fears of a "potential risk of injury" for passengers, Radio-Canada has learned. In a letter addressed to the consortium formed by Alstom and SNC-Lavalin, the CEO of CDPQ Infra, promoter of the REM, is concerned and denounces a multitude of non-conformities on cars already manufactured.
From the trim to the finish, including the assembly and the electrical wiring of the cars, CEO Jean-Marc Arbaud deplores "a breach of principles and good manufacturing practices for trains", in the document dated September 7. "The product delivered is simply not of the expected level." [...]

 

[Northern Light]

Multiple quality issues on the REM trains assembled in India

Défauts, risques de blessures : les trains du REM ne sont « pas au niveau attendu »

Des correctifs sont nécessaires sur des dizaines de voitures fabriquées en Inde afin de garantir la sécurité.

ici.radio-canada.ca

Sounds like the TTC's issues w/quality on the Flexities made in Mexico.

****

Here's the thing.............nothing inherently wrong w/manufacturing in developing countries; they have ever capability to build as well as we do here.
But when manufacturer's are sourcing from said countries, they're, often doing so on insanely low bids.

That invariably shows up in the finished product, as artificially low wages, even by the standards of said nations, results in workers with skills moving on, a high churn rate.

That, along with skimping on materials in some cases........and poor quality control.........

I wonder when assorted consortia will pick up on the fact that this idea isn't really working?

*****

I'm not sure if the Ottawa contract's issues were similar..............

 

[APTA-2048]

Sounds like the TTC's issues w/quality on the Flexities made in Mexico.

****

Here's the thing.............nothing inherently wrong w/manufacturing in developing countries; they have ever capability to build as well as we do here.
But when manufacturer's are sourcing from said countries, they're, often doing so on insanely low bids.

That invariably shows up in the finished product, as artificially low wages, even by the standards of said nations, results in workers with skills moving on, a high churn rate.

That, along with skimping on materials in some cases........and poor quality control.........

I wonder when assorted consortia will pick up on the fact that this idea isn't really working?

*****

I'm not sure if the Ottawa contract's issues were similar..............

I mean, this really stood out…

“Des ouvriers payés 2 $ de l’heure

En 2018, Radio-Canada avait révélé que les ouvriers d’Alstom à Sri City gagnaient 2 $ de l’heure avec un rythme de production plus intense qu’au Québec, où un soudeur gagne un salaire horaire d'environ 30 $.“

 

[OCCheetos]

I'm not sure if the Ottawa contract's issues were similar..............

Ottawa's trains were assembled in Ottawa with parts manufactured in Hornell, Sorel-Tracy, and others.
I think they're quite the same.

 

[superelevation]

Multiple quality issues on the REM trains assembled in India

Défauts, risques de blessures : les trains du REM ne sont « pas au niveau attendu »

Des correctifs sont nécessaires sur des dizaines de voitures fabriquées en Inde afin de garantir la sécurité.

ici.radio-canada.ca

Sounds like the TTC's issues w/quality on the Flexities made in Mexico.

****

Here's the thing.............nothing inherently wrong w/manufacturing in developing countries; they have ever capability to build as well as we do here.
But when manufacturer's are sourcing from said countries, they're, often doing so on insanely low bids.

That invariably shows up in the finished product, as artificially low wages, even by the standards of said nations, results in workers with skills moving on, a high churn rate.

That, along with skimping on materials in some cases........and poor quality control.........

I wonder when assorted consortia will pick up on the fact that this idea isn't really working?

*****

I'm not sure if the Ottawa contract's issues were similar..............

The Flexities had structural problems, these seem a lot more minor

 

[nfitz]

The Flexities had structural problems, these seem a lot more minor

Where there's smoke, there's fire.

The most disturbing think in the article, is the CEO is wondering about the quality of construction and manufacture in India.

Hang on a minute. They don't have feet on the ground in the manufacturing facility? That's not a good sign.