2 Trillium Line stations still off grid; city blames Hydro Ottawa strike
A hydro strike and signalling testing issues are to blame for the most recent delay for the Trillium Line extension.
It will be November at the earliest before the north-south line could be handed over to the city, but staff say there is no guarantee that there won't be more delays.
Michael Morgan, the city's director of rail construction, says, "We have tried to be forthright and forthcoming with all of the risks and things on the project. Absent operating the nine trains on the line in the coming four to six weeks there is always a chance things could get pushed out."
The city's light rail subcommittee received an update on construction for Stage 2 of the rail system in Ottawa Tuesday, including the north-south line from Bayview Station to Riverside South, with a spur to the Ottawa International Airport.
Morgan says, "We are absolutely focused on finishing this year and getting it into service this year. There are things that are outside of our control."
The delays are being caused by signalling system issues and Morgan says stations at Dow's Lake and South Keys still don't have permanent power, partially due to the ongoing Hydro Ottawa strike.
"The strike is affecting two locations," he says. "All the other locations already have permanent power. They have been connected, they have been commissioned, so we are in good shape with the other stations. These two locations, we have some mitigation measures including putting up a temporary generator that we can use to commission the electrical systems.
"But at the end of the day, to put a system into service, we want permanent power to the stations. We will be looking to find that date and that timeline to get those stations properly powered up."
Morgan says the strike is not having an impact on another other parts of Trillium Line.
Chair of the LRT subcommittee, Coun. Steve Desroches says work continues to make sure the line stays on target.
"Staff are still working on other fronts to make sure that this project moves forward and advances. I think that resolution to the labour dispute needs to happen at the negation table and not at the council table. I hope that those negotiations continue and there will be a resolution where it belongs, at the negotiation table," he said.
The committee also heard track work is largely complete from end to end, but some stations also need occupancy permits and approvals for elevators.
Earlier this year, the subcommittee heard that the aim for trial running was the third week of September, but on Tuesday, Morgan told the committee there is no specific date for trail running.
Morgan also says in order to move to trial running, there needs to be nine trains running end to end for testing. Right now, only two trains are testing on the track.
The Trillium Line was originally scheduled to open in August 2022, and was then delayed until September 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.