I'm curious how it compares and contrasts to Ion, having never ridden the latter. Obviously very different systems, but considering they are of the same vintage I'm curious in differences in vehicle comfort and ride.
The Alstom trains feel more spartan due to the smaller windows, exposed sliders on the insides of the doors, accordion pleats that don't conform to the body profile on the outside, the triple stanchions blocking the aisles, the single round red 'cargo trailer' light in the ceiling above each open door, etc. (I had really hoped they'd be like the new Montreal Metro trains with LED sidelights framing each door, which are white normally, green for open doors, and flashing red for doors that are closing. The Montreal trains have the triple stanchions too, but with the white door frame lighting all around them they look so much less gloomy than Ottawa's.) The trains ride really well however (other than grinding through the curves around Hurdman, which is easily resolved with track greasers) and the system feels
fast, something ION has yet to achieve because they're limited to 50 km/h until they get their ATP sorted out. (Not to mention all of ION's mid-street rights of way and their associated intersections. In my experience ION's traffic light priority is excellent, but it's still not freaking magic.)
I suspect the Alstom bogies pivot to lead the trains into the curves smoothly, whereas Bombardier's bogies are fixed except for some rubber bushings and so have to pivot the entire mass of their module with them when they enter a corner. The ION system, unlike legacy TTC streetcar track, was built with spiral curves to compensate for the way these fixed-bogie vehicles enter a curve, but you still get the feeling that you're being slammed through them sometimes. The motors in the Bombardier trains are quieter, the Alstoms can be howly at times (akin to the Tasmanian Devil's spin-up in some sections where it reflects back at the trains quite a bit.) Maybe it's all down to the geometry around the vehicles rather than the vehicles themselves (or just the higher speeds), but your system seems rather a bit louder. Despite the extra loudness (heck, maybe it is just down to the speed), there are less strange noises coming from inside your vehicles, likely since you don't have any sharp turns. Certain ION trains have their own unique groans and creaks rounding the sharper turns that set them apart from the rest of the fleet, probably down to that whole "the bogie twists the entire module" thing. On ION you'll also hear the sanders come on several times throughout your trip (like hair dryers on low hidden in the walls), the hills of ION's on-street sections combined with the track greasers pretty much guarantee that some sections are 50/50 if a train will sand them or not, even on a clear summer day! You guys don't have this issue, at least not until the snow hits.
Ottawa's stations are
gorgeous! I keep expecting to run into Richard Attenborough in a white safari outfit muttering "Spared no expense." What we've got for ION is little more than low platforms with fancy bus shelters and nice anchor walls. It kept our system to a budget that could make it through the voting process, but I am quite jealous of yours. You have
stations, each one with a uniquely grand sense of place that tells people "You have arrived." Man, even your tunnels are nice! Spacious, well lit. I really think that using LRT trains rather than heavy rail was the way to go here. The low platforms and lack of a third rail make each station feel bright and open rather than a dank place of danger. Hopefully no-one will ever venture on to your tracks (and Ottawa was smart enough to put up decently tall barriers between them, and not just chain link but pretty things matched to each individual station), but even if they do they won't get electrocuted and can easily and quickly get themselves back onto the platform again.
You guys have got a good thing up here Kyle, well done Ottawa!
