Ion rapid transit

Interior of Ion vehicle 506

Production of the new vehicles was expected to begin in 2015 with the first to be delivered no later than August 2016 and all vehicles were to be received by the end of 2016.[29][30] On April 13, 2016, it was reported that Bombardier had informed the transit authority that delivery of the vehicles would be delayed.[31]

The region entered a joint agreement with Metrolinx and Bombardier in July 2013 for 14 LRVs, as well as an option to buy up to 14 more. Under the original agreement, the first vehicle was to be delivered no later than August 2016, and the final vehicle by December 2016.

On May 20, 2016, Bombardier announced that to avoid further delays it would shift construction of the vehicles for the Ion system from its Thunder Bay plant to another plant in Kingston, Ontario.[32]

The first vehicle, number 501 (its ends are labelled 501A and 501B), arrived in Waterloo Region on February 24, 2017.[33] However, it was not ready for testing as its operating software was incomplete.[34] By mid-March 2017, the second to fifth vehicles were seen by a CTV reporter as under construction in the Kingston plant.[35] Testing of vehicle 501 was scheduled to commence in May 2017 on the line between Northfield Drive and Silver Lake.[14]

In early April 2017, the Region expected to receive a second LRV in June or July, but that was postponed to late August or early September.[36] By the beginning of October 2017, the second LRV had arrived.[34] The schedule then called for delivery of another each 15 days, for a total of 14 by year end.[14] The year end target was missed.[37]

On November 7, 2017, unpowered vehicle testing began on the tracks between Northfield Drive and Erb Street. An LRV was towed to check track clearances including along station platforms and to ensure continuous pantograph contact with the overhead electrical wiring.[37][38]

On December 19, 2017, GrandLinq had its first successful test of a Flexity Freedom running under its own power at the Ion maintenance facility. The two-hour test was done at the speed of 10 km/h (6.2 mph) and "apparently went quite well", according to Coun. Tom Galloway.[39] In 2018, testing beyond the maintenance facility was scheduled to start. By this date, Waterloo Region had three LRVs on site,[40] which is the minimum number required to do an adequate test of the system.[41]

A CBC report on December 21, 2017, indicated that the fourth vehicle was expected to be delivered before year-end. Six others were in final production and four were still in the assembly process.[42] After the fourth vehicle was received in January, the first one was returned to Kingston for some additional work. At that time, five others were being tested by Bombardier.[43] According to the schedule, the fourteenth and last LRV was expected to be delivered in February 2018 with full LRT service expected to start in spring 2018;[37] however, this later became a June final delivery, with service start in December,[44] then later to June 21, 2019.[7] The final LRVs were delivered on December 6, 2018.

At a Regional council meeting on May 8, 2019, it was announced that the service would launch the following month, on June 21, 2019; service across all of Grand River Transit, both LRT and bus, was to be free of charge for 11 days, until Canada Day.[45]

In August 2020, it was confirmed that part of a compensation package from Bombardier to settle shipping delays would be a fifteenth unit, provided free of charge, for the Ion fleet.[46] It was delivered early March 2021.[47]

The Ion fleet is stored and maintained at the Ion Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility (OMSF) located on Dutton Drive in Waterloo.[48]

The design of each of the stops was focused on an 'anchor wall', a 4 metres (13 ft) square panel subdivided into smaller tiles of glass, ceramic or stone; each station has a unique wall design based on the surrounding architecture, landmarks and social character.[49][50]

Canadian National Railway freight trains use the shared portion of the Waterloo Spur between 11 pm and 5 am.[56] After crossing King Street, the northbound freight train joins the northbound Ion track at Caroline Street, cross over to the southbound Ion track just north of Erb Street and then continue north on the southbound track until just south of Northfield Drive. This train typically heads north just after 11pm while Ion service is still running. Northbound Ion LRVs wait at Waterloo Public Square and southbound Ion LRVs wait at Northfield for the freight train to pass. The southbound return trip takes the reverse path and must return before Ion service starts at 5 am or they will have to wait until the next evening. This trip usually occurs Monday and Thursday nights but as with most freight schedules it can sometimes vary.[57] Since freight cars are wider than the LRVs, there are gauntlet tracks at the southbound track of Ion stations along the Waterloo Spur to keep freight trains from striking the station platforms. To further protect station platforms and the Ion catenary system, there is a safety system to detect oversized freight cars and automatically stop the train using derailers. The detectors are located at Willow Street and just north of Northfield Drive.[58]

• On-road from Conestoga stop in Waterloo, the route follows King Street then west on Northfield Drive, using its existing bridge to cross the Conestoga Parkway, to the Region-owned rail spur line at Northfield stop.
• Off-road, it then follows the Region-owned rail spur line (also known as the Waterloo Spur) from Northfield Drive, passing the Research and Technology, University of Waterloo and Laurier - Waterloo Park stops to Uptown Waterloo, replacing the existing tracks. This line is used by the Waterloo Central Railway and CN, and remains open to freight traffic outside of transit service hours.[56]
• On-road in Uptown Waterloo, it splits into a one-way system going north on King Street (location of the Waterloo Public Square stop) and south on Caroline Street (Willis Way stop), and along Allen Street to rejoin as a two-way system along King Street past Allen and Grand River Hospital stops. In Downtown Kitchener, the route splits at the Central Station stop (home to the future Transit Hub) into a one-way system going north on Duke and Frederick Streets (including Kitchener City Hall and Frederick stops) and south on Charles Street (Victoria Park and Queen), and back to a two-way system on Charles Street at Benton Street. From downtown Kitchener, the route follows Charles Street past Kitchener Market and Borden stops, then turns southwesternly taking a one-way system using Ottawa Street northbound and Borden Street southbound to Mill stop.
• Off-road, it then travels two-way along the CN rail right-of-way (alongside existing tracks to allow full freight access), under the Conestoga Parkway in a dedicated tunnel, beside Hayward Avenue, beside Courtland Avenue (past Block Line stop) and through the hydro corridor adjacent to Fairway Road, to Fairway stop.

• Off-road From Fairview Park Mall the route then parallels the CPR rail line under Highway 8, over the Grand River, past Sportsworld station, under Highway 401, over the Speed River, to Eagle Street in Preston at Preston station.
• On-road on Eagle Street to Hespeler/Eagle station, then along Hespeler Road past Cambridge Centre and Can-Amera stations to Delta station, and on Water Street into Downtown Cambridge to the Ainslie Terminal station.[60]

On-road sections keep the LRVs in dedicated lanes that do not mix with general traffic.

In February 2017, after limitations in the original route design came to light, a new preliminary preferred route plan was published.[61] This would no longer use the CPR line south of Fairway; instead, it would travel to the east of it, along the River Rd extension and across Hwy 8; along King St into the Sportsworld area and under Hwy 401; along Shantz Hill Rd into Preston, and crossing the Speed River on a dedicated bridge.

The subsequent plan, rejected by Cambridge City Council in July 2017,[62] indicated that the track would take Eagle St toward Hespeler, but to avoid conflicts with rail corridors and reduce traffic impacts at Eagle/Pinebush, would travel along the freight spur to Hespeler Rd. As previously, Hespeler Rd would be followed toward the Delta intersection, but to avoid traffic impacts it would veer east along the rail corridor behind Norfolk Ave, then transition to an abandoned railway corridor behind Grantham and Beverly Sts, before coming into downtown Galt near the Ainslie Terminal.[63] (At least one journalist has pointed out the similarity between this plan and the electric Grand River Railway of the early 1900s.)[64] More detailed rendering of the route became available in October 2019, indicating elevated sections would be used to cross Fairway Road, the Grand River, Fountain Street and the Speed River, and the CP Rail line by Eagle Street.[65]

to Conestoga Fairway CP Rail Grand River King Street Sportsworld Highway 401 Fountain Street Speed River Preston Station CP Rail CN Rail Pinebush Hespeler Road Cambridge Centre Can–Amera Delta CP Rail Ainslie

The Region approved a staged implementation plan for its rapid transit system:

Stage 1 – Implementation of LRT north of Fairview Park Mall and adapted Bus Rapid Transit south of Fairview Park Mall, including:

• LRT from Conestoga Mall in Waterloo to Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener;
• Adapted Bus Rapid Transit (aBRT) from Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener to Ainslie Street Terminal in downtown Cambridge
• Re-aligned Grand River Transit (GRT) bus service to provide an expanded level of service to the rapid transit stations along primary feeder corridors;
• Express bus service, modelled after the current iXpress service, to high ridership centres throughout the Region (i.e., Wilfrid Laurier University, Conestoga College, etc.);
• Connections to intercity transit such as GO Transit, Greyhound, and Via Rail.

The stage 1 route is 19 kilometres (12 mi) long.[29]

Stage 2 – Completion of a light rail transit system from Fairview Park in Kitchener to Ainslie Street in Cambridge. Commencement of Stage 2 to follow completion of Stage 1 as closely as possible.

Out of the seven groups that showed an interest in the project, by December 18, 2013, three consortiums had submitted bids to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Ion system:[66][67]

• GrandLinq which includes Plenary Group Canada; Meridiam Infrastructure Waterloo; Aecon; Kiewit; Mass Electric Construction Canada; Keolis; STV Canada Construction; AECOM and CIBC World Markets.
• Kitchener Waterloo Cambridge Transit Partners which included Gracorp Capital Advisors; Connor, Clark & Lunn GVest Traditional; Infrastructure Partnership; Parsons; Graham Infrastructure; IBI Group; E & E Seegmiller; Guild Electric; Alternate Concepts and Investec North America.
• Tricity Transit System which included SNC-Lavalin; EllisDon; Fengate Capital Management; URS Canadian Operations; and Hatch Mott MacDonald.

The winning bid was selected at a committee meeting on March 4, 2014.[68] GrandLinq is the preferred bidder.[69] The final approval of the GrandLinq bid came at a full council meeting on March 19,[70] and financial close was made May 9.[71]

GRT Ion bus used on BRT service.

Because Stage 2 was still years away in March 2017, Grand River Transit was providing rapid transit between Fairview Park Mall and the Ainslie Street Transit Terminal (in the "downtown Galt" area) using iXpress buses. Adapted versions would become available in the near future for the Ion bus. Other stops are at Hespeler Road at the Delta, Can-Amera, Cambridge Centre, Pinebush, and Sportsworld. The rapid transit vehicles use bus-only lanes at Pinebush, Munch and Coronation to minimize slowdowns at times of heavy traffic. Following the launch of light rail stage 1, the Ion bus provides a direct link to that system.[81][82] This bus route is properly known as 302 Ion Bus. That service, termed "adapted bus rapid transit" runs in shared traffic lanes for most of the route, and fares are collected on board. It therefore does not meet the BRT Standard definition of bus rapid transit. No firm estimates had been published as to the possible start of (Stage 2) light rail service to Cambridge but a report in early July 2017 suggested that construction would not begin until 2025.[78]

The stations have been built to be the length of two LRVs; however, as only single vehicles are anticipated to be required initially, the major station facilities were only built for a single vehicle length at start. This consists of a cantilevered glass canopy over a mostly open waiting area; enclosures were built at most stations to provide some shelter. Each station is also recognizable by a 'feature wall', a 3-metre (9 ft 10 in) square installation near the end of the platform that carries a distinct colour scheme and pattern. The wall face is a series of large tiles in glass, ceramic or stone; at some stations, all tiles are the same, while others feature a unique pattern. Each wall features illuminated Ion and GRT logos, as well as the station's name set in Clearview. A second wall and canopy can be installed at the opposite end of each platform, and are planned to be erected when two light rail vehicle cars become the norm.

There are ten public art installations within the Ion corridor with artworks at Conestoga, Research and Technology, Grand River Hospital, Kitchener Market, Mill, Block Line and Fairway.[83] A further piece, Fabric of Place by Lilly Otasevic consisting of a panel with imaging representing the fabric of the community, is used as a barrier along the Ion track in Waterloo behind the Albert McCormick Community Centre, on Parkside Drive. Waterloo Region budgeted $875,000 for the artworks.[83]

• 
  Laurier–Waterloo Park Station, in October 2017, showing the canopy structure and stone-tile feature wall
• 
  Gauntlet track at station where regular freight trains pass as well
• 
  Fabric of Place

In May 2009, a Facebook group named "I Support Light Rail Transit in the Region of Waterloo" was created, and boasted over 1,600 members.[84] Shortly after its creation, the group creator and other LRT supporters formed the "Tri-Cities Transport Action Group" (TriTAG).[85] According to its website, TriTAG supports LRT as a needed method of shaping development, meeting future capacity needs, protecting the environment, and providing the most economical solution for transportation in the Region.[86] Six months after founding, TriTAG launched an email campaign to allow supporters of LRT to email their MPs, MPPs, and other government officials such as the federal and provincial Ministers of Transportation. Within a few days, thousands of emails had been sent.[87] For the 2010 Regional Budget, TriTAG and its supporters presented to the Regional Budget Committee regarding various areas of transportation funding. While the focus was not on LRT, the delegates spoke about the importance of proper transportation infrastructure (pedestrian, cycling, transit) on a successful LRT system.[88][89] TriTAG has continued their support of the project into the bid stage in 2014; a notable contribution is a video outlining the landmarks and amenities that the route will access.[90] Proponents have asserted that the region's plans for rapid transit will be an essential component of planning and rationally controlling the Region's growth.[91]

A report in late 2017 indicated that the new Ion system was responsible in part for a predicted building boom in the core of Kitchener, much of it located near LRT stations. An estimated $1.2 billion in building permits for 20 new developments was expected by March 2018, adding 1,000 apartments and 1,800 condominium units. According to the City, the anticipated development was a "mixture of high-density residential buildings with ground-floor retail, and office buildings with ground-floor retail". Half of the projects would be extensive in size. A report in the Waterloo Region Record of December 29, 2017 indicated that "since Ion was approved in 2009, the region has issued $2.4 billion in building permits within the LRT corridor." Rod Regier, Commissioner of Planning, Development and Legislative Services for Waterloo Region, commented on the increase in building permits. "My back-of-the-envelope estimate is that the private sector developers have invested almost double the full cost of the Ion itself in the transit corridor. That for me is really astonishing," he said.[92]

A group opposed to the rapid transit proposal, called "Taxpayers for Sensible Transit" (T4ST), was formed in June 2009. According to its website, T4ST opposes LRT as being a proposal too big and too expensive for the region, which will hurt businesses and the local economy.[93] Taxpayers for Sensible Transit did not present a position regarding transportation and transit funding for the 2010 Regional Budget.

In September 2013 Doug Craig, the mayor of Cambridge, called for examining the cost of cancelling the light rail line.[94] He justified this examination due to doubts by Toronto politicians over its light rail line.

On November 19, 2013, it was reported that Craig was working to "extricate" Cambridge from any obligation to pay for the line connecting it to Kitchener, while, at the same time, trying to argue for connecting Cambridge to Toronto, via a GO line.[95]

The first candidate to announce his run for Mayor of the City of Waterloo in the 2014 election, local media personality Dave MacDonald, was running on a primarily anti-LRT platform.[96]

In March 2014, just as the Region was preparing to give final approval to the construction contract, a group titled "Coalition Stop Waterloo LRT" filed a legal injunction against the project, claiming it did not meet planning guidelines and should be stopped. A court decision on March 18 dismissed the motion, but did not rule out further legal review.[97] It later emerged that the only citizen directly associated with the filing coalition was local businessman Jay Aissa.[98] Ann Tucker of the Ontario Superior Court dismissed the suit on March 19, 2014.[99]

In July, Aissa announced that he was dropping further legal challenges, and instead would take a political option to oppose the project, running against incumbent Regional chairman Ken Seiling. Seiling was re-elected Chairman with 58.4% of the vote.[100]

After publication of the February 2017 route plan, some citizens of Cambridge, particularly in the Preston area, were strongly objecting to the route, especially the section planned for Shantz hill and certain residential areas. City Council particularly objected to the Shantz Hill Road to Hespeler Road section and passed a motion in early July 2017 instructing staff to advise the Region of this and to request that alternatives be explored.[78][62]