Valley Line LRT | ?m | ?s | City of Edmonton

[Glenco]

This looks about right.

 

[EdwardEdm]

I remember it being a thing with the Bombardier LRVs on VLSE that they were using 7 segments instead of the 5 the Flexity was originally designed for. From what i read, it does make our units unusually long.

Bombardier built 7 segment Flexity's for Berlin in the early 2010's, so, it's not like our cars are really anything that hasn't been done already somewhere else in the world. None the less, they are quite unique for North America for the time being. The choice in length was at least partially dictated by the length available for stations Downtown, and making the most efficient use of that space. By going for a 2 car train made up of longer cars, they are saving the space that would have been used for couplers and operator cabs compared to a 3 car train made up of shorter cars, so, the space for 2 operators cabs and a pair of couplers goes towards the passenger cabin instead.

Thanks to everyone sharing info on Hyundai's offerings for trams! it was so cool to come home and see all this info just hours after the announcement. I am curious about what base model they use for our trains, and what the end treatment will be. from what i've seen/read, the ends of the trains are relatively easy to update, and get restyled to keep models looking fresh, but mechanically the trains are the same everywhere else. I wonder if we will get the same trains as shown in the photos, or if by 2025 something will have been changed?

I'm very curious how this will playout with Rotem. Edmonton has had the benefit of Bombardier getting their cars running in Toronto and Waterloo, and while their climates aren't the same as Edmonton's, they seem to have faired well so far.
Ottawa and their Alstom Citadis Spirit cars on the other hand, the first adaptation of an Alstom LRV to North America, has had their fair share of teething problems.
Hopefully Rotem will do fine. Seeing that they are building cars for Warsaw does give me confidence they'll be able to build a car for Edmonton's climate.
The safest bet would have been to sole source with Bombardier, but those negotiations fell through (cost being a part of it) and Bombardier/ Alstom didn't even make the short list.

 

[The_Cat]

Lights up and running at Mill Woods. Most of the intersections on 66 Street have functioning lights. Also, signage is up at the Millbourne/Woodvale stop.

 

[The_Cat]

Another light up at 83 Street/69’Avenue:

 

[Kaizen]

^glad that my lights area finally open, haha. I'm just in a block or so to the East of there. That 76ave & 83 intersection was pretty bad at times, more so a couple years ago. Lots of fender benders.
Traffic flows pretty smooth along 83 now, no bike lanes from Whyte to 63ave though, so not great.

 

[tbjarnason]

X-Wing in action. I tried to wait around to get a video of it moving but I think the work crew got camera shy and ran

 

[The_Cat]

Some of the train signals are also synchronized with the lights. I wonder when the trains will be tested.

 

[Glenco]

New fencing.

 

[Reecemartin]

Can’t find any information on this LRV. Has anyone else tried?

Not sure about the world, but a recent research I've done has it as the only in the Americas.

Rio has 7 segs

They have done tram/ LRV type vehicles around the world, just not much for North America. They did supply the cars to the Canada Line in Vancouver, and while it is commuter railroad equipment, Silverliner V cars to SEPTA and Denver.


The Purple Line in Maryland will have LRV's slightly longer than Edmonton's. Those will be built by CAF.

Hyundai has a mixed record in NA, their trains in the US have had a lot of issues (LA / Philly) but the trains in Vancouver are excellent. They haven't made many trams though, I really like the design here - full sized front door and the white door outlines look sharp. It's amazing how the US manages to always get really ugly stuff . . . these are the Purp. Line trains . . . the look 20 years old and aren't even in service

I remember it being a thing with the Bombardier LRVs on VLSE that they were using 7 segments instead of the 5 the Flexity was originally designed for. From what i read, it does make our units unusually long. There's a couple soft standards for train length (in Germany, LRT can only have trains up to 105m,, so trains have to be designed to maximize that length, which is where our U2s get their 25m length from, for example) but usually trains are either shorter trams or longer subway-type systems. we're kinda wierdos in the middle lol.
Thanks to everyone sharing info on Hyundai's offerings for trams! it was so cool to come home and see all this info just hours after the announcement. I am curious about what base model they use for our trains, and what the end treatment will be. from what i've seen/read, the ends of the trains are relatively easy to update, and get restyled to keep models looking fresh, but mechanically the trains are the same everywhere else. I wonder if we will get the same trains as shown in the photos, or if by 2025 something will have been changed?

The trains will likely be near identical to the renders - they have been in other places. 7+ segment LRVs are fairly common globally, just not in NA! I wish Toronto had have asked about 7 segment trains, having seen the sets on the Crosstown / Line 5 a massive amount of space is wasted by couplers - fortunately in Toronto the trains each only have 1 cab and are connected back to back.

 

[The_Cat]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1459289116395417606

 

[Gronk!]

 

[Kaizen]

Hey @Gronk!, did you happen to notice if the MUP to Riverdale was open yet?
Cool shots!

 

[Gronk!]

No, @Kaizen, I did not notice. I hope someone else can swing by.

 

[Glenco]

Berlin tram.

 

[IanO]

What a mess to get around. Love all that on-street parking for workers and that the YMCA block is fenced with nothing happening in.