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He reminded Lauch about the $1-million penalty for missing the March 31 deadline and asked how confident he was in meeting it, which would clear the way for a late April launch for actual passengers.

“We don’t contemplate any other scenario than handover on the 31st of March.”

Isn’t that an odd way to make a promise?

For the first 45 minutes, it looked as though all was well — On Track, even! — until Coun. Diane Deans asked transportation general manager John Manconi whether he shared RTG’s optimism.

“I’m highly skeptical that they’re going to achieve March 31,” said Manconi, and immediately reporters were retweeting their earlier tweets and doing a 180 on their story angles. Then he went further.

“Based on our assessment, there is no probability they are going to make March 31, from our perspective, without deviation from the project agreement.”

After the meeting, the mayor concurred.

“I think the March 31 deadline is not achievable at this point. RTG is going to wear that. They told us today, you heard loud and clear, that they believe they can meet the 31st. I hope they’re right. I don’t think they are.”

There is a checklist of eight outstanding issues, and they’re big ones, in various stages of completion. But one easily understood fact leaped out: the fleet of trains is not even ready and a major test has yet to be passed.

The committee heard that only 14 of 34 trains have been fully commissioned and approved for use. Manconi said some of the issues are very minor, like a handrail missing here or there, but it was hardly reassuring to hear half the fleet isn’t green-lighted only 47 days before it was all to be signed, sealed and delivered.