11 of 14 ION LRT trains need repairs under warranty; no safety concerns

All but three ION vehicles need repairs From CTV Kitchener’s Jeff Pickel: All but three ION light rail vehicles have structural issues that need up to two years of repairs.

KITCHENER — Eleven of Waterloo Region's 14 ION light rail trains need structural repairs, according to a report from the region.

However, the chair of the region's transportation committee says safety of the trains isn't an issue.

Tom Galloway, who chairs the committee, says the region is dealing with the problem right away to prevent issues down the road. The trains are still under warranty through Bombardier, the manufacturer, so it also won't cost the region any money.

"It's really a warranty issue," Galloway said. "It's like if you bought a car and you had a problem identified, a recall. You don't wait until that fails, you get it fixed before it fails."

The cars need to be taken apart for the repairs. The total repair time is expected to take two years. Bombardier will make sure the region has enough vehicles to keep the LRT running during the repairs.

The ION launched in June of 2019.