Bombardier Flexity Freedom
| Bombardier Flexity Freedom | |
|---|---|
 Flexity Freedom at the ION Public Days (new line in Waterloo)
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| Number: | Waterloo 14 Toronto 76 Edmonton 26 (including ordered) |
| Manufacturer: | Bombardier Transportation |
| Year of construction (s): | 2018– |
| Gauge : | 1435 mm ( standard gauge ) |
| Length: | 30.8 m |
| Height: | 3.6 m |
| Width: | 2.65 m |
| Smallest bef. Radius: | 25 m |
| Top speed: | 80 km / h |
The Flexity Freedom is a new family of 100% - low-floor - light rail vehicles from Bombardier Transportation , which was presented in October 2011th It was developed parallel to Flexity 2 for the North American market and is only produced there in the plants in Thunder Bay (Ontario) and Sahagún (Mexico) . During the construction, particular attention was paid to compliance with Canadian and US American standards.
The first orders should be delivered from 2016, but the first units will not be tested by the future operators until 2018 after production difficulties. In some cases, orders were even changed to the advantage of competitor Alstom with their Citadis family.
operator
Waterloo
Waterloo Region , a regional municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario, has specifically designed the new Flexity Freedom for the Ion rapid transit project, which has been in development since 2009. It was finally built from 2014 and should go into operation at the end of 2017.
In May 2016, Bombardier became aware of delivery problems, as a result of which the opening was postponed to May 2018. Originally, the delivery contract comprised 14 vehicles, which should be delivered by August 2016 at the latest, with an option for 16 more vehicles. The first vehicle (number 501) was actually delivered in February 2017, but it turned out to be not testable. Delivering the necessary software by May 2017 was not complied with. In mid-March 2017, journalists were shown the construction of the second vehicle, which should be delivered in June. This was postponed month after month until it finally arrived at Ion's workshops in October 2017. It was then promised to deliver a new vehicle every two weeks in order to fulfill the contract by the end of 2017; in fact, only the third vehicle had been delivered by then, and the fourth vehicle was delivered in January 2018. The last vehicle on the order arrived Waterloo finally in June 2018.
At the Ion depot, the first vehicle started running in December 2017 (at 10 km / h). At the beginning of 2018, tests outside of this should also be started. After all vehicles arrived in June 2018, a test phase of six months began for the entire system. The Ion Link should go into operation with the Flexity Freedom vehicles in December 2018. But the Ion line opened on June 21, 2019.
Toronto
Toronto developed the "Transit City" plan in the 2000s, as a result of which six additional light rail lines are to be built. These plans were incorporated into the provincial government's "The Big Move" plan for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). This resulted in a need for around 300 light rail vehicles. In June 2010, Metrolinx , the provincial government's public transport agency, ordered 182 vehicles from Bombardier, which would be built in a nearby plant. The delivery was planned for the years 2013 to 2020.
In contrast to the previous broad gauge of 1495 mm of the Toronto trams, which were used with Flexity Outlook cars, the new network will be built in standard gauge, as price advantages for standardized parts are expected. In December 2017, Metrolinx and Bombardier agreed to reduce the supply agreement from $ 770 million for 182 vehicles to $ 392 million for 76 vehicles. In Toronto, the Flexity Freedom are then only intended for the Eglinton line (opening in 2021). Instead, Metrolinx ordered 61 Citadis from competitor Alstom for the Finch West line in Toronto and the Hurontario line in Mississauga in May 2017. If Bombardier cannot deliver on time, these Citadis will first run on the Eglinton line. On January 8, 2019, Metrolinx received the delivery of the first Flexity Freedom vehicle.
Edmonton
Flexity Freedom vehicles are also planned for the new "Valley Line" of the Edmonton Light Rail Transit light rail. However, the deal with Bombardier covers the entire light rail system (including signaling and power supply) for $ 391 million (CDN). Up to now, high-floor vehicles from Siemens have been used in Edmonton ( Alberta ). The first of the 26 vehicles was delivered in July 2018.
Individual evidence
- ^ Second Ion train arrives in Waterloo Region ( s ) Cambridge Times . October 2, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ^ A b Johanna Weidner: First powered Ion testing performed ( en ) Waterloo Region Record . December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ↑ a b Kate Bueckert: No LRT service until at least December in Waterloo region ( en ) CBC News Canada. April 14, 2018.
- ^ Ion launch date set for June 21 (en) . In: Waterloo Region Record , May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ↑ Metrolinx spends $ 770-million to order 182 LRT vehicles from Bombardier (en) . In: The Globe and Mail , June 14, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- ↑ Ben Spurr: Metrolinx to buy vehicles from Bombardier competitor ( en ) Toronto Star . 5th November 2017.
- ↑ Bombardier delivers first LRV for Eglinton Crosstown, on track for TTC streetcar delivery ( en ) January 8, 2019. Accessed January 8, 2019.
- ^ Bombardier Wins Order to Supply Light Rail Transit System for City of Edmonton's Valley Line in Canada ( en ) Retrieved February 12, 2016.
- ↑ Kashmala Fida: First LRV train arrives in Edmonton on time and on budget ( en ) In: StarMetro Edmonton . July 26, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
