WATERLOO REGION — Ion trains are taking unusual passengers for a ride.

Heaps of sandbags — the equivalent of a train's 200-passenger capacity — are loaded on as part of the ongoing testing of vehicles and light rail infrastructure.

"There's quite a few sandbags on there," said Brendon Simon, senior Ion project manager with the Region of Waterloo. "It fills up the train from end to end."

The sandbags simulate a full vehicle, giving the driver a feel for how it handles and brakes compared to travelling along the line when it's empty.

"The vehicle performs a bit differently," Simon said. "It just gets that practice in."

The weighted train also tests out the infrastructure along the line, including the power supply to keep it moving along at the right speed.

More trains will be out on the tracks as driver training and testing continues. That's both to boost driver comfort, but also to get citizens used to what it will be like when light rail service is up and running.

Each day now there are four to six trains out on the 19-kilometre route between Kitchener and Waterloo at any one time.

"That will continue to go up through the next couple months," Simon said.

Ion service is slated to start this spring.

jweidner@therecord.com

Twitter: @WeidnerRecord