Ion’s the life of the party!
Crowds admire the region’s spanking new train as it makes a sneak-preview run
KITCHENER — The automated voice greeted everyone waiting at the downtown Kitchener light rail station for the train to pull up.
“Welcome future Ion riders.”
A crowd of all ages, from children to seniors, eagerly stepped aboard at the Kitchener Market stop for a close look at the Ion as it made its way through Kitchener and Waterloo on Saturday.
“It’s beyond my expectations,” said Georgetta Precup.
The Kitchener senior — sitting in a plush Ion seat with a huge smile on her face — has been closely following the project’s progress and was thrilled by her first glimpse inside the train.
“In my view, it’s very elegant, totally different from buses,” said Precup, a regular bus rider.
“The chairs are very, very comfortable. The views are nice.”
Precup lives close to the market station at Cedar and Charles streets and expects she’ll be using light rail a lot when service begins. She thought Saturday’s tour was a great chance for the public to see the Ion up close after years of talking about it.
“Now we understand better the project,” she said.
The tour stopped at nine of the 19 stations along the route between Kitchener and Waterloo, opening its doors for about 30 minutes at each stop. Donations were accepted for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region along the way.
Regional Coun. Tom Galloway caught up with the Ion at a couple of stops with his grandson and was pleased by the turnout. Hundreds were at the tour’s first stop of the morning at Fairway.
Galloway had an easy explanation for the crowds: “Pent-up anticipation that people have for the system. They’ve been waiting patiently and sometimes not so patiently.”
Rebecca Kelly and her daughter Ruby, 8, were shopping at the nearby farmers market and came over for a look. Ruby gave a thumbs-up when asked what she thought of the train.
“I’m excited for the Ion. She’s excited for the Ion,” Kelly said. “I can’t wait for the spring.”
Her workplace is planning on moving near an Ion stop in Waterloo, so she welcomes the new transit option. Already the Kitchener woman appreciates the changes in the bus routes to better connect with the Ion line.
Kitchener’s Sarah Soikie and threeyear-old son John swung by the station while out on their Saturday errands.
“We actually thought we were going to for a ride,” she said. “We’ve seen them going up and down the tracks testing. He keeps asking when can we go on the train.”
The region must wait for a bit longer to ride the Ion.
Service is now slated to start in the spring, delayed from the previous plan for a December launch.
“It’s disappointing, but there’s always delays,” she said.