Alstom's Citadis begins dynamic testing on Ottawa's O-Train line
During this phase of the project, the trains will undergo various tests, including dynamic testing at speeds of approximately 50 mph up to approximately 62 mph.
Alstom’s Citadis Spirit, a 100% low-floor light rail vehicle designed for North America, began dynamic testing on the O-Train Confederation Line in Ottawa. Ottawa’s future light rail vehicles will be tested both at the Belfast Yard Storage and Maintenance Facility (Belfast Yard), as well as along approximately four mile of test track.
During this phase of the project, the trains will undergo various tests, including dynamic testing at speeds of approximately 50 mph up to approximately 62 mph. The dynamic tests that will take place on the test track will focus on traction and braking performance, train behavior, and the comfort and performance of the bogies.
Static testing will take place at Belfast Yard and will validate function performance, including HVAC, doors, lighting, passenger information, and on board data systems. This phase of testing will run through to the end of March 2017, during which more than 50 test procedures will be completed. Upon completion of this first series of tests, more than a dozen tests will be conducted on a multiple unit train, i.e. two trains coupled together.
“The commencement of dynamic testing marks the first 100% low floor vehicle to enter validation testing in Ontario and brings the Citadis Spirit one step closer to the start of commercial service in the City of Ottawa. This rigorous testing of the trains will ensure smooth and safe operation for both the operators and passengers alike,” said Angelo Guercioni, managing director for Alstom, Canada.
Alstom is supplying 34 Citadis Spirit light rail vehicles for the O-Train Confederation Line, and will maintain both the vehicles and the line’s infrastructure for a period of 30 years. This first phase of the O-Train Confederation Line comprises 13 stations along an approximate 7.8 mile route. The O-Train Confederation Line is expected to begin full revenue service in 2018.
Thanks to its modular design, the Citadis Spirit provides for a very flexible manufacturing process. The Citadis Spirit is being assembled by a local workforce at Belfast Yard, creating over 100 jobs in the Ottawa area, with the support of an established supply chain of over 60 Canadian suppliers to meet the 25% Canadian content requirement. In addition to vehicle assembly in the Ottawa area, the Alstom manufacturing facility in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec is assembling the bogies for the Citadis Spirit.
Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.
The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.
Under the plan, all long-distance routes will transition to a universal single-level fleet, replacing today’s mix of bi-level and single-level equipment.
The milestone is a significant step toward modernizing the MAX Blue Line’s power infrastructure, one of the oldest components of the region’s light rail system.
The firm will lead the Tier 2 environmental review program for the Coachella Valley Rail Corridor, including the conceptual and preliminary engineering needed to develop project-level environmental clearance.
The ATP board’s approval of ARC enables ATP to begin pre-construction activities and advance final design for Austin Light Rail under the first phase of what will be a multibillion-dollar contract.
