Bombardier should pay for light rail transit delay

Don’t get mad, Waterloo Region. Get money.

The startup of the region’s long-awaited light rail transit system has — once again — been put off.

And the reason for this frustrating development, once again, is train manufacturer Bombardier. It simply can’t get the new trains to the region on time.

Far from being a technicality, these repeated delays are a significant problem for this community and the regional government is absolutely right to tap Bombardier on the shoulder for $25 million in compensation.

As it stands today, the light rail system reminds us of someone who’s all dressed up for a big party that keeps getting postponed.

Most construction on the $868-million megaproject ended months ago. The tracks are laid and those shiny new stations are just waiting for the first trains and passengers to arrive.

But the stations will be empty for months to come. This isn’t the region’s fault.

Originally, Bombardier was supposed to have all 14 of its trains delivered by December 2016, so LRT could begin operating by July 2017.

Bombardier’s first failure to deliver the trains on time pushed the startup date for light rail back until this spring. Now, after yet another delay, Bombardier’s last train won’t arrive until June, and the opening day for LRT has been pushed back to December — a full year-and-a-half beyond the original schedule. After that train arrives, the region still needs six months more to get the system fully operational.

Bombardier’s failure to meet its commitments is more than a fleeting inconvenience. It’s driving up the project’s cost by $24.6 million.

It’s impossible for GrandLinq, which is managing construction, to complete the project as long as all the vehicles aren’t here. As a result, it has had to employ some staff for longer, while insurance costs also rose.

The winter launch of LRT is problematic, too. The region wants as many residents as possible to become committed converts to public transit.

Annual ridership on Grand River Transit already fell from 22 million people in 2013 to 20 million in 2016. But the region has set an ambitious goal of increasing annual ridership to 27 million people.

The inauguration of light rail offers a golden opportunity to sell people on a new way of getting around Kitchener and Waterloo.

Yet people may be less likely to change their daily routine and try light rail if they have to do it in a December snowstorm, as opposed to June sunshine.

Meanwhile, new and more efficient express bus routes which will feed the LRT line are also on hold.

For the people of this region who have already endured years of disruptive light rail construction and whose taxes will cover much of the LRT bill, these repeated delays are maddening. But a bit of money could help soothe tempers.

The original agreement with Bombardier put the company on the hook for up to $4 million in the event of delays. Later negotiations further increased the company’s liability.

Let’s hope Bombardier is sensitive enough to its public reputation and desirous enough for future transit contracts to do the right thing and fully compensate Waterloo Region for the cost of the delays Bombardier caused.

If not, the region should trust the justness of its cause in court.

Bombardier’s failure to meet its commitments is more than a fleeting inconvenience.