Council delivers ultimatum to Metro LRT contractor

Edmonton councillors issued an ultimatum Tuesday to LRT signalling contractor Thales Canada: get the Metro Line to NAIT running properly by April 30 or face “serious consequences.”

“I’m out of patience,” said Mayor Don Iveson as all 13 council members voted to impose a deadline and start exploring alternatives.

April 2018 is Thales Canada’s latest estimate for getting the line to full service.

“If we have to disentangle ourselves from this signalling system, we’re prepared to do that and that’s only the beginning of the serious consequences,” Iveson added, threatening to run the line with flagmen if that’s what it takes to end Thales Canada’s contract.

The “serious consequences” would include legal action.

The ultimatum came after a revelation about the contract at least some councillors said they’ve never heard before.

Thales Canada first signed the high-tech signalling contract in 2011, promising to create a system that let new Metro Line trains run at grade along the line from MacEwan to NAIT and weave between the existing Capital Line trains at 21/2-minute frequencies in a downtown tunnel.

Council was told four other companies also bid on the project, but were disqualified because they could deliver.

Council heard Tuesday that Thales Canada had never installed such a system before. The basic signalling technology was an offthe-shelf product — used in many other cities, even on fully automated trains — but it had never been used at street level. It’s designed for trains on skyways or in subways.

“We were the guinea pigs,” said Coun. Tony Caterina, baffled at the new revelation. “Why would someone in 2010 make that decision? That’s something I’ve never heard about today.”

The Metro Line was scheduled to open in April 2014. It started running at a lower speed and reduced frequency in September 2015, using the old Capital Line signalling technology in the downtown tunnel.

The Metro Line trains have since been brought up to full speed, but reliability issues with the signals mean the new signalling system has never been used for the tunnel. Officials have never tried weaving the Metro Line trains between the Capital Line trains, cutting back on the frequency of trains on the original line instead.

City officials are due back with a report May 1 on a Plan C, one that would not use Thales Canada’s signals to run the train. That could mean using the old Capital Line technology for the Metro Line, accepting a reduced frequency and shorter cars for transit riders on the old line for the foreseeable future.

Or it could mean stopping the Metro Line trains at MacEwan Station, forcing people to transfer to a bus or walk so frequency on the old line can be restored. That’s what Caterina would choose.

Thales Canada issued a short statement after the debate pledging to keep working: “Thales is committed to delivering a safe and reliable CBTC (signal control) system to Edmonton. We will continue to work with city officials and the Edmonton Transit Service to deliver the remaining CBTC functionality.”