TTC: Flexity Streetcars Testing & Delivery (Bombardier)

[W. K. Lis]

From Transit Toronto, at this link:

The TTC will start testing new streetcars along the 510 Spadina route next week, including the Spadina / Queens Quay Loop, to prepare for service to resume Sunday, August 31. The TTC will resume service along the 509 Harbourfront route Sunday, October 12.

It will be great to see streetcars returning to Spadina.

Or better yet if they could return the Harborb Streetcar, which uses Spadina for part of its run.

But the best improvement would be the return of the moving walkway between the two Spadina stations. Like what they have at some airports.

But that would cost gravy, and we can't do that.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Does Bombardier have to build its streetcars at the Thunder Bay factory. There is the La Pocatière plant in Québec, and in Europe of course. Hmmm.

 

[ehlow]

Does Bombardier have to build its streetcars at the Thunder Bay factory. There is the La Pocatière plant in Québec, and in Europe of course. Hmmm.

Is there a particular reason there is a factory in Thunder Bay? Just wondering why they would choose a place so far from the places these vehicles would be shipped to over cities like Cambridge or Burlington/Hamilton, or somewhere in that area.

 

[TOareaFan]

Is there a particular reason there is a factory in Thunder Bay? Just wondering why they would choose a place so far from the places these vehicles would be shipped to over cities like Cambridge or Burlington/Hamilton, or somewhere in that area.

Legacy/history from UTDC

 

[nfitz]

Does Bombardier have to build its streetcars at the Thunder Bay factory. There is the La Pocatière plant in Québec, and in Europe of course. Hmmm.

I think they have to have Canadian content, but not necessarily Ontario content. See http://www.ttc.ca/TTC_Business/Mate...Us/Commission_Policies/Procurement_Policy.jsp where all the references are to Canada, and not Ontario.

 

[achender]

Is there a particular reason there is a factory in Thunder Bay? Just wondering why they would choose a place so far from the places these vehicles would be shipped to over cities like Cambridge or Burlington/Hamilton, or somewhere in that area.

Seems like the site was founded in 1912 to build railway cars, which would make Thunder Bay a natural choice. After that I guess it was a case of the plant and skilled labour already being there. Plus maybe some politics with UTDC.

From this Bombardier site document.

Historical Milestones and Contracts
1912 Founded by Canadian Car and Foundry Company of Montréal to manufacture railway
boxcars;
1962 Contract for 162 Rapid Transit Cars for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC );
1963 Selected to supply 8 six-car trains for Expo ’67 in Montreal;
1977 First order of 395 BiLevel cars delivered to GOTransit;
1979 Contract 250 Light Rail Vehicles for the TTC streetcar system;
1984 Site transferred to Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC), an entity
of the Ontario provincial government;
1992 Contract for 216 T1 metro cars for the TTC subway;
1998 Contract for 156 T1 metro car contract for the TTC subway;
1992 Bombardier acquires Canadian assets of UTDC;
1994 Plant modernization and expansion completed;
2000 Contract for 106 Via Rail Renaissance (rebuilding and refurbishing);
2006 Contract for 234 Toronto Rocket subway cars for the TTC;
2008 Contract for 204 streetcars for the TTC;
2010 Extra 186 Toronto Rocket subway cars for the TTC;
2010 Contract for the supply of 182 light rail vehicles for Metrolinx;
2011 Contract for 50 BiLevel cars for GO Transit.

 

[smallspy]

Does Bombardier have to build its streetcars at the Thunder Bay factory. There is the La Pocatière plant in Québec, and in Europe of course. Hmmm.

La Pocatiere is a structural construction facility, and has no capability to complete equipment.

Starting up a construction line in Europe would be wasteful as the car modules would then have to be shipped from Mexico to Europe, completed, and then shipped back - and on top of that, you would have to create and train the employees to build a car which they have never seen before, AND fly over the inspectors necessary to oversee the assembly and sign off on the completed products.

So......why?

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[FNTS]

I just encountered a team of fare inspectors on the Queen Streetcar, 5 in total (two standing next to the rear doors, two next to the middle doors, and one that I think was a police officer next to the front door). Nobody was given a ticket in the 10 minutes they were there, but they cause quite an impression when you get on the streetcar, like there has been a crime on board.

I took a photo of them when they got off.

 

[cplchanb]

maybe a famil on SOPs that they could be adopting once the new policy kicks in?

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Nobody was given a ticket in the 10 minutes they were there, but they cause quite an impression when you get on the streetcar, like there has been a crime on board.

Did anybody not have a transfer? I think it would be a little ridiculous to fine people, given that drivers often don't give out transfers or because customers throw them away since they've never needed them as proof of payment.

 

[rbt]

I just encountered a team of fare inspectors on the Queen Streetcar, ...

Perhaps they're training?

 

[adHominem]

Did anybody not have a transfer? I think it would be a little ridiculous to fine people, given that drivers often don't give out transfers or because customers throw them away since they've never needed them as proof of payment.

I think Brad Ross tweeted something to the effect that they won't be ticketing for the first little while - it's just an awareness thing until people get used to having POP.

 

[nfitz]

maybe a famil on SOPs that they could be adopting once the new policy kicks in?

Not sure what you mean here.

A family on support? How are they any different?

New policy kicks in? They are simply supporting the existing policy for 501 that kicked in a quarter-century ago.

 

[FNTS]

I didn't see anybody being reprimanded, so probably everybody had a transfer. It wasn't a very busy time and the streetcar was almost empty.

 

[nfitz]

I think Brad Ross tweeted something to the effect that they won't be ticketing for the first little while - it's just an awareness thing until people get used to having POP.

He did indeed. Well he retweeted it ...

@bradTTC tells me this is an education & awareness blitz, and no tickets will be issued until September. #ttc