Flexity Freedom
The Flexity Freedom is a low-floor, articulated light rail vehicle developed by Bombardier Transportation (and later Alstom) for the North American market. It is marketed as part of the Bombardier Flexity family which includes other models of trams (streetcars) and light metro vehicles. They are produced in facilities in Thunder Bay and Kingston, Ontario, which once produced rolling stock under the names of Canada Car and Foundry (CC&F) and Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC), respectively.
| Flexity Freedom | |
|---|---|
Ion unit 501 at Ion OMSF during public tour event | |
| Manufacturer | Alstom |
| Built at | Thunder Bay and Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
| Family name | Flexity |
| Entered service | June 21, 2019 |
| Number under construction | Toronto: 76 |
| Number in service |
|
| Capacity | 135–275 depending on configuration |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 20.0–40 m (65 ft 7 in – 131 ft 3 in) depending on configuration |
| Width | 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) |
| Height | 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in) |
| Doors | 6–10 (3–5 on each side) |
| Articulated sections | 3–7 |
| Maximum speed | 80 km/h (50 mph) |
| Electric system(s) | 750 V DC from overhead trolley wire |
| Current collector(s) | Pantograph |
| UIC classification | Bo'2Bo' (5-section) |
| AAR wheel arrangement | B-2-B (5-section) |
| Minimum turning radius | 25 metres (82.02 ft) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The Flexity Freedom is used on the Ion rapid transit in Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario, and the Valley Line in Edmonton. It is planned for use on the Line 5 Eglinton light rail system under construction in Toronto.
Being entirely low-floor, these vehicles directly compete with the Flexity Swift, Alstom Citadis, Siemens S70, CAF Urbos, and Kinki Sharyo LRVs. However, as they are designed for light rail rather than streetcar applications, they also compete against, to a lesser extent, low-floor streetcars from Škoda/Inekon and Brookville Equipment Corporation, among others.