A new electric-powered streetcar that requires no overhead wires or third-rail connection will be on display at Granville Island Public Market today through Sunday.
Bombardier Transportation (TSX:BBD) is showcasing its new Flexity Freedom light rail vehicle in Vancouver, Surrey, Edmonton and Calgary.
During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Bombardier showcased an earlier version of the Flexity by providing a free shuttle service from the Olympic Village to Granville Island.
This earlier streetcar used overhead wires. Bombardier’s new light rail vehicle uses high-frequency induction to charge the train without a physical connection to a power source.
The power source is buried beneath the train’s rail line. It can recharge while moving, generate power when it brakes and store the power.
The new vehicles, which sell for $4 million each, are already in use in Germany, and Metrolinks has ordered more than 200 cars for the Toronto-Hamilton transit region.
Steve Hall, Bombardier’s B.C. general manager, said the Flexity could be used either as a streetcar or for light rail transit.
“This vehicle can run around the downtown streets in a city, then go out to the suburbs on a dedicated right-of-way,” he said.
Hall suggested the Flexity could be used for the Broadway corridor connection or for the Evergreen Line, but said Bombardier has not approached TransLink with any proposals.
