TTC: Flexity Streetcars Testing & Delivery (Bombardier)

[drum118]

So car #60 is in Toronto......is that not the one that triggers the decision on the option vehicles?

Only when its 100% operational and maybe late Jan 2018. Then there is still the failure rate that must be met by car 60 and with less than 9,000 km at the end of Oct, not the 35,000 contracted for, this needs to be resolved first before think about doing anything more with BBD.

We are still waiting for the results of the RFI for other suppliers that closed in Nov, and TTC to get off the pot by placing a tender for the so call 100 cars, since we need them more than the plan 60. Maybe they should be 35 or 40 m long in place of the current 29 to be place on routes like 501 & 504. It was a total zoo for east-bounders at Yonge tonight. Huge gap up to over 5 minutes with crush loads except for 514. Westbound wasn't bad as the eastbound for ridership, but gaps and bunching really bad. Just before I left, a 514 Flexity show up follow right behind it by 2 504 Flexity and 3 CLRV in a row.

Riders like I have said in the past are their own worst enemy when it comes to delaying service. Watch a number of car where riders try to get on, only to be forced off since, the doors couldn't close with them standing on the stair or pass the white line.

 

[dowlingm]

I have a recollection of being told, either on here, CPTDB or Twitter that Bombardier would *not* be allowed finish cars at Leslie again. And yet here we are again, it seems.

 

[Flexity504]

4460 Must’ve Arrived 4004 was Towing it To Leslie Barns.
EDIT: 4459,4457 Are Training At Leslie Barns With A Messed Up Destination Sign.

 

[Flexity504]

Only when its 100% operational and maybe late Jan 2018. Then there is still the failure rate that must be met by car 60 and with less than 9,000 km at the end of Oct, not the 35,000 contracted for, this needs to be resolved first before think about doing anything more with BBD.

We are still waiting for the results of the RFI for other suppliers that closed in Nov, and TTC to get off the pot by placing a tender for the so call 100 cars, since we need them more than the plan 60. Maybe they should be 35 or 40 m long in place of the current 29 to be place on routes like 501 & 504. It was a total zoo for east-bounders at Yonge tonight. Huge gap up to over 5 minutes with crush loads except for 514. Westbound wasn't bad as the eastbound for ridership, but gaps and bunching really bad. Just before I left, a 514 Flexity show up follow right behind it by 2 504 Flexity and 3 CLRV in a row.

Riders like I have said in the past are their own worst enemy when it comes to delaying service. Watch a number of car where riders try to get on, only to be forced off since, the doors couldn't close with them standing on the stair or pass the white line.

Yup, 506 and 135 Gerrard Were So Crowded They Had To Leave like 40 People Off At Main Street station
I’m Assuming 506 is a bit necessary to get a few flexitys.

 

[drum118]

What other cars got tow to Leslie? Being tow is a clear sign they can't run under their own power yet.

I have noticed the last 2 months, that the GPS on the new cars are having more failures then all the other cars before them and could be tie into the electronics system thats is beyond my pay scale.

4455 has been the worse one to date. It is currently out for testing at this time and a few extra days beyond the last few cars going into service. If this the last day of testing, may make it out for PM peak service on Monday like 4454 or AM on Tuesday like the other cars.

All routes needs a few new cars, but even then, still need the existing fleet until the next order arrives, since the 204 Flextity on order will never handle the increase of ridership with 504 proving that now.

Then, is TTC able to get enough of the existing fleet into service in the cold weather these days since they seem not to like the cold weather these days?? Got to hand it to TTC staff for keeping the existing fleet in service this long and for the next 7 years.

 

[White Pine]

I think it would be smart to order the extra 60. Due to inflation, they won't get them at a better price, the assembly line is still going, no prototypes/new custom designs are needed, and at the rate BBD is going it would only take two more years to get. After that, if they still need new ones, then they can order a new set of 40-60 cars from whoever they want.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

While riding the TYSSE today I asked a TTC staff member about the streetcar deliveries. She said that now the TTC expects to have 65 by year’s end, meeting Bombardier’s revised goal.

 

[dowlingm]

While riding the TYSSE today I asked a TTC staff member about the streetcar deliveries. She said that now the TTC expects to have 65 by year’s end, meeting Bombardier’s revised goal.

a smart TTC person would have learned from Andy’s experience with BBD and hedged, especially if several have weeks of work ahead of them before being test worthy.

 

[pstogios]

While riding the TYSSE today I asked a TTC staff member about the streetcar deliveries. She said that now the TTC expects to have 65 by year’s end, meeting Bombardier’s revised goal.

How were you riding the TYSSE if it isn’t officially open yet? And what is your evidence that the TTC expects 65 cars?

 

[nfitz]

a smart TTC person would have learned from Andy’s experience with BBD and hedged, especially if several have weeks of work ahead of them before being test worthy.

It's just a casual conversation, like one gets all the time.

How were you riding the TYSSE ...

Subway train I'd assume.

And what is your evidence that the TTC expects 65 cars?

They mentioned their source. At the meeting this week Byford said he though it would be 64. Hardly a point worth debate at this stage.

 

[TransitBart]

Complaining is a habit. A bad one at that. In my books this year is a success. There are bigger fish to fry. Delivery is a stale discussion, although we seem to have 761 pages comprising over 11,000 post on this.

Four new topics which actually merit discussion in 2018.

1. What are the failures which are keeping the MTBF low? Minor and inconsequential things - LED on dash not working, or material issues in propulsion, braking and the like?
2. When does a Flexity get to call Russell or Roncy home? 60 of these thing zooming up and down Leslie each day. My understanding is that it was built for 100 units. We are a long way from that (underwhelming) day when the TTC moved the fleet of a handful from Exhibition Loop.
3. The city can buy hundreds of buses a year but buying 204 streetcars was a huge step. At this rate, we are repairing track that there are / will be no streetcars to run on. What does it take to plan and decide on the right number of subsequent vehicles to purchase?
4. @drum118 has speculated on 35 or 40m cars for 501 or 504. If King is (passenger) carless, this might work. Discuss.

This is what 55m looks like.

 

[TOareaFan]

Can we all resolve to not tell other people which topics merit discussion in 2018?

It really is simple, if there is a discussion taking place and you don’t believe it merits your time/thoughts/contributions then just pass on by safe in the assumption that the people discussing think it merits their time and thoughts.

 

[Allandale25]

How were you riding the TYSSE if it isn’t officially open yet? And what is your evidence that the TTC expects 65 cars?

Alex won through the Twitter contest the TTC held. Others won as well.

 

[TransitBart]

Can we all resolve to not tell other people which topics merit discussion in 2018?

It really is simple, if there is a discussion taking place and you don’t believe it merits your time/thoughts/contributions then just pass on by safe in the assumption that the people discussing think it merits their time and thoughts.

Of all of the responses I imagined, this was not among them. Life will continue to bring surprises each day. 2018 will be no less wondrous than 2017.

 

[dowlingm]

1. What are the failures which are keeping the MTBF low? Minor and inconsequential things - LED on dash not working, or material issues in propulsion, braking and the like?

Doors. This is regularly discussed in the CEO's report.

As for 50m cars, if we are already talking about terminal constraints at Broadview etc. for 30m cars, imagine how many loops would be rendered useless by 50m ones? And that's before issues like power requirements and sufficiently maintenance bays. Dublin is running 50m Alstom trams now but it had to spend on yard upgrades, it uses turnbacks not loops, and its 750V overhead provides power at lower amperage than Toronto's 600V in the downtown network.