2021-2030 SkyTrain Procurement (Alstom Mark V)// + New OMC4 Construction

[briguychau]

2 hours ago, Mac Write said:

I've looked all over and can't find the 30 Skytrain order. I want to know when they will arrive and enter service. Links please.

The extension is "funded" but not officially going ahead yet, so I don't think the 30 has officially been ordered yet.

Also, since it's likely an exercise of options under the order of 205, it might not get an official press release.

[briguychau]

https://buzzer.translink.ca/2021/11/take-a-sneak-peek-of-translinks-new-mark-v-skytrain/

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/mark-v-skytrain-design-translink

They're calling it "Mark V" I guess? Skipping IV?

[Express691]

57 minutes ago, briguychau said:

https://buzzer.translink.ca/2021/11/take-a-sneak-peek-of-translinks-new-mark-v-skytrain/

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/mark-v-skytrain-design-translink

They're calling it "Mark V" I guess? Skipping IV?

4 is bad luck lol

jk thats likely not the reason why 4 was skipped

[Express691]

I come back - Read the daily hive quote which says

"While the newest existing model of train used on the Expo and Millennium lines is the Mark III, which saw the first trains rolled onto the system in 2016, the name of these new generation trains is the Mark V. Lovegreen explained that Mark IV has been assigned to the name of the Mark III trains undergoing some minor upgrades."

[briguychau]

3 hours ago, Express691 said:

I come back - Read the daily hive quote which says

"While the newest existing model of train used on the Expo and Millennium lines is the Mark III, which saw the first trains rolled onto the system in 2016, the name of these new generation trains is the Mark V. Lovegreen explained that Mark IV has been assigned to the name of the Mark III trains undergoing some minor upgrades."

Any idea what these minor upgrades are? Also how many Mk IIIs are being upgraded to Mk IV?

[Millennium2002]

I hope they're not leaving it painted white. The Mark IIs are already a good example of why not to do this.

[GORDOOM]

6 hours ago, Millennium2002 said:

I hope they're not leaving it painted white. The Mark IIs are already a good example of why not to do this.

It's a mock-up, not a production vehicle. I suspect the new cars will either have the same livery as the Mark IIIs (/Mark IVs) or a coloured-roofed version like the 2019 buses. For that matter, based on the precedent of the Mark I rebuild, I suspect the rebuilt Mark IIs will also get the current livery.

Edit: Or maybe, between the new trolleybuses and the Mark Vs, they'll decide it's time for an all-new livery. The current Sweep-R will be two decades old at that point, with only modest revisions in 2018/2019 corresponding to the RapidBus and double-decker launches.

[Mac Write]

The current livery is modern, looks good and doesn't look dated by a long shot.

[GORDOOM]

17 hours ago, Mac Write said:

The current livery is modern, looks good and doesn't look dated by a long shot.

I don't disagree. I'm simply pointing out that, if TransLink were to decide to shake things up, the launch of the Mark Vs and the new trolleybuses would be a perfect opportunity.

[Mac Write]

When did Translink place an order for new Trolley buses?

[GORDOOM]

7 hours ago, Mac Write said:

When did Translink place an order for new Trolley buses?

Not ordered yet, but expect an RFP in 2024 or so. The ExxLFRs were delivered 2005–2008, and TransLink plans for a 20-year service life for trolleybuses. Also, the current electrification plan calls for maintaining the current trolleybus overhead through the 2040s and concentrating CapEx on rigging the rest of the bus network to charge bus batteries.

[Mac Write]

This needs a new thread

Having as much Trolley routes as possible alongside Battery electric trolleys would mean a unified fleet. Trolley busses could have partial routes without wires. We need the 15 back, and need to add the 2, 22 to the trolly routes. 

[Express691]

1 hour ago, Mac Write said:

This needs a new thread

Yes, please discuss elsewhere (i.e. the trolleybus thread by scrolling down a bit in the vancouver subforum)

=====================

The buzzer released a post regarding naming conventions for the skytrain units.

https://buzzer.translink.ca/2021/11/why-isnt-the-new-skytrain-called-the-mark-iv-and-other-questions-on-the-mark-v/

[Express691]

Screenshot from today's board meeting

[Cathay 888]

On 11/17/2021 at 12:30 PM, Mac Write said:

This needs a new thread

Having as much Trolley routes as possible alongside Battery electric trolleys would mean a unified fleet. Trolley busses could have partial routes without wires. We need the 15 back, and need to add the 2, 22 to the trolly routes. 

I doubt it for 15 since they're already interline with 50, if you say Battery Electric could be possible~~

[8800GTX]

On 6/23/2022 at 10:36 AM, Express691 said:

Screenshot from today's board meeting

If I'm not mistaken those long roof pieces are painted blue!!!

Looks like we'll get a blue top livery for the Mark Vs?

[Express691]

Not so hard to visualize now I guess

[Mac Write]

Blue on top yuck, the gray/black tops fit in with the Livery 2.0.

T-minus 15 months (hopefully) before the test unit is delivered.

[Transit Guy]

17 hours ago, Mac Write said:

Blue on top yuck, the gray/black tops fit in with the Livery 2.0.

T-minus 15 months (hopefully) before the test unit is delivered.

If I’m not mistaken, the blue roofs are supposedly more durable and cost-effective compared to the original Sweep-R grey, which is why every new bus that has been delivered post-2018 Nova Suburban order and isn’t RapidBus-branded has been delivered with blue roofs. I assume the latest MK III order maintained the grey roofs because they were already building those cars prior to the 2019 switch.

Side note: the reasoning for the MK IV name skip is absolutely stupid and makes no sense at all. “We skipped MK IV because we’re going to be upgrading some existing MK IIIs.” Last I checked, the 2009/2010 MK IIs are designated as “MK II,” not “MK 2.5.” So with that logic, updating the interiors of some MK III cars with some fancier LCD route maps (or something) does not magically turn the cars into a completely different model.

[Transitfan2022]

On 6/27/2022 at 1:10 PM, 8800GTX said:

If I'm not mistaken those long roof pieces are painted blue!!!

Looks like we'll get a blue top livery for the Mark Vs?

a blue roof would be nice. it would match the 2021 xde60's

[8800GTX]

On 6/28/2022 at 5:05 PM, Transit Guy said:

I assume the latest MK III order maintained the grey roofs because they were already building those cars prior to the 2019 switch.

Given the roof parts were finished first for this order, I imagine it was the same case for that order.

The use of a Quebec factory is interesting and I'm wondering if it has to do with Alstom taking over ops. I can't recall which factory Bombardier employed for the Mark IIIs, just that the BART Fleet of the Future cars were being built side-by-side in that factory.

On 6/28/2022 at 5:05 PM, Transit Guy said:

Side note: the reasoning for the MK IV name skip is absolutely stupid and makes no sense at all. “We skipped MK IV because we’re going to be upgrading some existing MK IIIs.” Last I checked, the 2009/2010 MK IIs are designated as “MK II,” not “MK 2.5.” So with that logic, updating the interiors of some MK III cars with some fancier LCD route maps (or something) does not magically turn the cars into a completely different model.

I don't really buy their explanation either, it's almost as if the "V" (5) is meant to signify that the trains will be 5 cars, which would be fine by me.

After all, how many other things in our world have skipped numbers rather arbitrarily (no Galaxy Note 6, no iPhone 9, etc.)

[Transit Guy]

13 minutes ago, 8800GTX said:

I don't really buy their explanation either, it's almost as if the "V" (5) is meant to signify that the trains will be 5 cars, which would be fine by me.

After all, how many other things in our world have skipped numbers rather arbitrarily (no Galaxy Note 6, no iPhone 9, etc.)

I’m fairly certain the 5-car explanation is why they’re called the MK V and using the “upgrade some MK IIIs to MK IVs” as the cover excuse for there not being any MK IVs.

[Busmanic92]

Mark 1: 1985 Expo line (0xx-1xx)

Mark 2: 2002 millennium line (200s)

Mark 3: 2009 expansion (300s)

Mark 4 technically is the newer mark 3 sets (4xx) which i think they are converting to mark 4. 

Basically yes there's Mark IV (4)'s but different name (llls). They just need to change lll to IV on the 400s and internally. Modify the logos blah blah. Not much work

[UprisingCanadian]

On 6/28/2022 at 5:05 PM, Transit Guy said:

If I’m not mistaken, the blue roofs are supposedly more durable and cost-effective compared to the original Sweep-R grey, which is why every new bus that has been delivered post-2018 Nova Suburban order and isn’t RapidBus-branded has been delivered with blue roofs. I assume the latest MK III order maintained the grey roofs because they were already building those cars prior to the 2019 switch.

Side note: the reasoning for the MK IV name skip is absolutely stupid and makes no sense at all. “We skipped MK IV because we’re going to be upgrading some existing MK IIIs.” Last I checked, the 2009/2010 MK IIs are designated as “MK II,” not “MK 2.5.” So with that logic, updating the interiors of some MK III cars with some fancier LCD route maps (or something) does not magically turn the cars into a completely different model.

Nope. It so the double deckers weren't just a giant gray wall. The color of the roof has zero play in the strength of the roof.

[Transit Guy]

1 hour ago, UprisingCanadian said:

Nope. It so the double deckers weren't just a giant gray wall. The color of the roof has zero play in the strength of the roof.

That literally makes no sense at all. The deckers were painted that way to fit with the “ExpressBus” branding that the Nova Suburbans were delivered with and was ultimately scrapped prior to the deckers’ arrival, probably because the branding made no sense at all when compared to “RapidBus.”

The paint doesn’t necessarily make the roof itself “stronger,” but from what I understand the blue paint is somehow more durable than the grey paint. I’m no paint expert, but TransLink will do just about anything to cut back on costs these days.