TTC: Flexity Streetcars Testing & Delivery (Bombardier)

[the lemur]

If you go to a real tender, contract would start in 2017 with the first prototype car showing up about 2019 and maybe production cars late 2019 or early 2020.

You never know who is real hungry for this contract until you but it out to tender and you may get cars here sooner than later. In fact, it may save Bombardier money even with the law suite based on the low tender.

Would that mean another supplier having to come up with something that meets the TTC's specs, or just building the Flexities under licence?

 

[the lemur]

And yet BBD continues to deliver the TR trains relatively reliably (not perfect, but close enough to schedule) and also GO equipment, from the same plant.

Which does support the various comments, that it's a problem with the Mexico plant. So perhaps if the latest delay has them being revamping the process in Mexico to improve the quality issues there, I suppose perhaps we might be there. But given all the failures to date ...

It's too bad Bombardier couldn't move production to a different plant, but I realize it's not that easy.

 

[nfitz]

Reliable but they were off scheduled too. It's just TTC didn't have the urgency for the needs the new trains as they do with the streetcars. They claim something like a train every week or so. Before that, they had the door manufacture go bankrupt and other manufacturing problems. The first of the TRs were suppose to arrive in 2009 and have the first 39 trains delivered in 2011 or so. The first train showed up a year late and delivery of the first order didn't finish until 2013.

They were obviously late compared to what they claim in their bid but not disastrous as with these streetcars.

There were initial delays, sure. But once they got rolling, they projected 2015 for the first 70. And they met that. They didn't have radically different schedules come out every month.

Remember that the Flexity deliveries started (with 4403) almost 2 years ago!

 

[crs1026]

Remember that the Flexity deliveries started (with 4403) almost 2 years ago!

It sure is funny that we were discussing TTC desire to equalise mileage across the fleet. When we get to 4420, we would have to park 4403 for two years to accomplish that.

- Paul

 

[W. K. Lis]

The new Flexity streetcars was first approved in 2009. The mockup arrived in 2011. The first operating new streetcar arrived in 2012. The first two new streetcars entered revenue service in 2014.

In the meantime:

Wonder if the "new" streetcars are "obsolete" already? Wonder if the 204th streetcar will have electronic parts or software that the first streetcar can't use or needs to be "surgically" altered?

 

[TheTigerMaster]

The new Flexity streetcars was first approved in 2009. The mockup arrived in 2011. The first operating new streetcar arrived in 2012. The first two new streetcars entered revenue service in 2014.

In the meantime:

Wonder if the "new" streetcars are "obsolete" already? Wonder if the 204th streetcar will have electronic parts or software that the first streetcar can't use or needs to be "surgically" altered?

Apple is apparently making a car. At the rate Bombardier is moving, Apple will have their second generation car out before BBD gets this streetcar order over with.

 

[crs1026]

Apple is apparently making a car. At the rate Bombardier is moving, Apple will have their second generation car out before BBD gets this streetcar order over with.

If Apple's car comes with self-driving and traffic management features that permit a couple thousand pph, we may have to rethink this whole thing.

- Paul

 

[salsa]

Turning to the comedy channel....

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/tra...our-streetcars-a-month-starting-in-april.html

- Paul

What Bombardier promised last summer:

We have committed to ramping up production in September to ensure the delivery of four new streetcars per month in order to hit the 204-streetcar target pledged to the city by 2019.​

 

[salsa]

So whats next? Door seals were failing QC? Seriously every time we approach a target deadline Bbr somehow magically pulls another Mexican excuse out of their ass... seriously can they not have a smooth month?!

When Donald Trump becomes president, I fully expect his damn wall will become the latest excuse for our delayed streetcars.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

"The entire city is waiting on their streetcar fleet to be replaced" is a bit dramatic. The general public can barely tell the difference between a Flexity and an ALRV.

That's like saying that Torontonians can't tell the difference between 1982 and 2016.

 

[Towered]

Bombardier needs to be excluded from future bids.

 

[Duck]

LOL

 

[Admiral Beez]

It's too bad Bombardier couldn't move production to a different plant, but I realize it's not that easy.

A future tender could require that the Mexican plant be excluded from the supply chain. That would come with higher costs.

 

[pstogios]

Though it seems there's a pattern to me. When TTC says that "Bombardier says" they don't believe a word of it. When they avoid that disclaimer, it's got a bigger chance of being realistic.

Good point. I will keep an eye on the words TTC uses.

Clearly both parties have "lawyered up" so the exact wording TTC is especially important. Basically TTC is saying "don't blame us, we're just the messenger."

 

[Admiral Beez]

LOL

Duck, I don't get it. You're almost OCD on fanatical support of Bombardier. They're just another company, they're not a national icon or anything special, if they suck at meeting their commitments, why make excuses for them, downplay their errors and question those who dare challenge their performance?