Latest signal tests ‘rock-solid,’ Thales says
The company on a deadline to deliver a fully functioning LRT signalling system to the city said its latest tests produced “rock-solid” service, but the city says it’s still waiting to see a finished product.
On Saturday, LRT service across the city was shut down so Thales Canada could perform testing. In the morning, it ran trains through a typical rush-hour service on both the Metro and Capital lines, and in the afternoon it had trains going at ‘Plan A’ frequency, where waittimes are shortened and trains weave past one another, with just 2.5-minute headway through the tunnel from Churchill to University stations.
For the first time, motormen could see the lights on trains ahead of them because of the increased frequency, said Dave Beckley, Thales’ vice-president commercial operations and customer service.
“We’re very confident about whenever it comes time to put this system into service, it’s going to go really, really well,” Beckley continued.
Problems with the signalling system on the Metro Line has meant it continues to operate at decreased service years after it was expected to be completed.
Thales had originally committed to finishing its work in December 2013, but it now faces a deadline to deliver a final product by Dec. 4 after the city issued a notice of default against the company in May.
The city has said that if Thales doesn’t deliver a completed system, it has been pursuing an alternative signalling option for the Metro Line.
Beckley said that the Saturday tests turned up no safety or major delay concerns that prevented trains from running as hoped. There were a number of issues with alarm notifications going off, but he said that Thales and Edmonton Transit are working to get those sorted out.
“The sooner it gets turned on, the better for everybody,” Beckley said.
Thales has been meeting with city administration and Thales spokeswoman Cara Salci said Wednesday that the company is hopeful it will get an opportunity to meet the mayor and council about its work.
An emailed statement provided by city spokeswoman Lindsay Yarmon on Wednesday said the city remains focused on the end result, and said the city will be doing its own testing following the handoff to ensure Thales has met its contractual obligations.
“While the system-wide closure on Saturday provided a longer window for Thales to conduct tests, these tests were not comprehensive or conclusive,” the statement reads, adding that Thales did not test the automatic train operation, or five-minute frequencies on the Metro Line, which will be used when the line is extended to St. Albert.
Thales plans to continue testing those two features during offservice hours ahead of the Dec. 4 deadline.