WATERLOO REGION - Only two Ion vehicles still need to be assembled, according to the first public update on the production and testing status of Waterloo Region's light rail vehicles.

Six vehicles are in the region and being used for system testing, according to the update released on Tuesday.

Eight are in Bombardier's Kingston plant. Of those, six are complete and the remaining two are not fully assembled, including the first vehicle that was sent back to Bombardier early this year for major production upgrades.

Coun. Sean Strickland, who suggested the monthly updates at an April council meeting, asked staff how Bombardier was doing on the deadline.

Launch of the Ion has been pushed back to December due to the delays by Bombardier in delivering all 14 trains contracted by the region. Originally, they were scheduled to be delivered by December 2016. In April, the region said the vehicles were expected in June.

Even with the extension, they may not all arrive in the region by then.

"Progress is going well," said Thomas Schmidt, the region's commissioner of transportation and environmental services.

"We're not sure they're going to exactly meet that deadline, but it will be close."

jweidner@therecord.com, Twitter: @WeidnerRecord