...8 Jul 2013 07:39
ByPaige Desmond
WATERLOO REGION — Regional councillors will vote Wednesday on spending about $92.4 million to purchase 14 light rail trains from Bombardier.
That's about $2.5 million under budget and, at about $4.4 million per train, is on par with several other cities.
If approved, a prototype will roll into town July 12 and be unveiled at a media event at regional headquarters on Frederick Street.
"I'm levitating about next Friday," said Coun. Jim Wideman. He'll push the button to open the vehicle's doors and start the tour.
"We have been talking about this now for seven or eight years," Wideman said. "We've had mockups. We've had artist renderings of trains. Now we're going to see it firsthand."
If councillors approve the purchase, it will be the largest approved expenditure so far for the region's $818-million rapid transit project.
The first train is expected in the region in July 2016, with the remaining delivered at the end of that year.
The region also has an option in its agreement with Metrolinx to purchase up to 14 more trains. They could be used if light rail ridership builds or for a potential expansion of light rail into Cambridge after 2017.
Residents will be invited Saturday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to check out the train prototype. It will be on a flatbed truck at 150 Frederick St.
Each light rail vehicle is expected to have five cars.
The Bombardier trains will be the first 100 per cent low-floor trains in use in North America. That means they won't have any bumps or grades, making for greater accessibility for strollers, wheelchairs and luggage.
They're popular in Europe but most North American cities use 70 per cent low floors, which have some raised areas that mean the entire floor space isn't accessible, according to the region.
Not all the design details, such as seat covers and exterior and interior colours, have been settled yet.
Thomas Schmidt, commissioner of transportation and environmental services, said transit riders can expect a quiet ride.
"They are very quiet," he said. "In some places where there are pedestrians, we may have to ring a bell or something to make sure people are aware of it."
Politicians originally wanted to test the trains locally before the rapid system starts running in 2017.
Wideman said the trains may need to be tested in another city, such as Kingston, that has better infrastructure for rigorous trials.
Light rail trains will run 19 kilometres from Conestoga Mall in Waterloo to Fairview Park mall in Kitchener. Construction is expected to be finished in 2017.
Councillors decided in June 2012 to piggyback on an existing contract Crown corporation Metrolinx has with Bombardier instead of putting out a request for proposals.
The region's need would be added to a contract Metrolinx has to buy light rail vehicles for the City of Toronto. Officials said it would lower costs, keep
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