A look at issues that arose on Ottawa's LRT in 2022
The latest disruption on Ottawa’s light rail transit system is entering into its sixth day.
This marks the longest disruption to full service since July 2022 when the system was damaged by lightning.
Here is a look at some of the issues that arose on the Confederation Line last year. This list includes incidents CTVNewsOttawa.ca has reported on and the 13 incidents OC Transpo reported to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada last year.
Jan. 19, 2022 - Rail car mover derails in Confederation Line maintenance yard
A railcar mover travelled through a switch that was not aligned for the intended route of travel causing the wheels to leave the track.
There appeared to be no damage to the switch or the rail car mover.
Jan. 22, 2022 - Extreme cold weather damages the pantograph on Ottawa LRT cars
Multiple trains experienced power issues in the east end of the line due to cold temperatures at the time. It was later determined that five vehicles had damage to the pantographs and required replacement.
The pantograph is the arm that connects the train to the overhead power lines.
Lows were around -30 C and highs were around -17 C.
Jan. 27, 2022 - Snow buildup causes derailment in maintenance yard
Maintenance equipment travelling through the yard had wheels leave the track when it attempted to go over an area of snow accumulation. There is no evidence of damage to the track or to the railcar mover.
Jan. 29, 2022 - Icy tracks temporarily shut down part of O-Train line
Ice on the train tracks shut down a portion of the Confederation Line LRT for a short time.
The transit service said just before 6:45 a.m. that R1 buses were operating between Tunney's Pasture Station and Hurdman Station, with train service running from Hurdman to Blair.
OC Transpo said full service resumed just before 8:30 a.m.
Feb. 12, 2022 - Broken wire on LRT car shuts down O-Train between uOttawa and Tremblay stations
O-Train service was shut down between uOttawa and Tremblay stations after a wire on an LRT car broke, causing it to stop just outside a station.
A train experienced a loss of power just outside Lees Station just before 9 a.m. R1 bus service ran between uOttawa and Tremblay until 6 p.m.
Feb. 21, 2022 - Collision in rail yard damages train
A railcar mover collided with a train car in the yard at a low speed. This resulted in minor damage to the train car.
Feb. 28, 2022 - Collision during maintenance
While performing routine maintenance on Line 1 outside of revenue service hours, a hi-rail vehicle, a kind of vehicle that can move on rails and on roads, lost traction while travelling westbound near Blair Station and made contact at low speed with another hi-rail vehicle and a piece of equipment being worn on a maintenance employee.
There were no injuries and there was minor damage to the contacted vehicle.
March 10, 2022 - Gearbox failure at Blair Station
An improperly lubricated gearbox was responsible for an issue on the Confederation Line near Blair Station, disrupting service for about two hours.
An eastbound train approaching Blair Station was making an unusual noise and emitting a burning smell, and debris was seen on the track. The train was pulled from service and parked at Blair for an inspection.
It was determined a gearbox failed because of an inadequate amount of lubrication fluid in the unit.
April 8, 2022 - Hi-rail vehicle derails during off hours
While performing maintenance on Line 1 outside of regular service hours, a hi-rail maintenance vehicle had its wheels come off the track.
There were no injuries or damage to the tracks or maintenance vehicle.
May 17, 2022 - Derailment in storage shed
A piece of maintenance equipment for moving rail vehicles was mounted onto the tracks in the storage shed and travelled a short distance before sliding off the tracks.
There were no injuries and damage to the equipment was minimal.
May 20, 2022 - Derailment in maintenance yard
A piece of maintenance equipment used for working on the overhead catenary system derailed while traveling on the tracks at the maintenance yard.
There were no injuries and damage to the equipment was minimal.
May 21, 2022 - Derecho storm knocks out power
The O-Train was briefly out of service following the May 2021 derecho storm, which knocked out power across the city, including to the Confederation Line.
Service resumed the next day.
June 22, 2022 - Collision in maintenance yard
While traveling at a low speed during a coupling procedure at the maintenance yard, a railcar mover made contact with a stationary light rail vehicle (LRV).
There were no injuries; one LRV headlight was damaged.
July 15, 2022 - Collision in maintenance yard
While traveling at a low speed during a coupling procedure at the maintenance yard, a railcar mover made contact with a stationary light rail vehicle.
There were no injuries and damage to the equipment was minimal.
July 23, 2022 - OC Transpo pulls O-Train vehicles out of service for inspection after wheel hub failure on train
OC Transpo pulled all O-Train vehicles that have travelled more than 175,000 kilometres out of service for additional inspections after a failure was discovered in one of the wheel hub assemblies on a train.
One LRT vehicle was removed from service for further inspection after an operator reported vibrations. The inspection found a failure in one of the wheel hub assemblies. As a precaution, all trains with more than 175,000 km of service were removed from the line to undergo additional inspections.
July 24, 2022 - Lightning strike damages line, shuts down service for nearly five days
A bolt of lightning that struck a part of the LRT system downtown knocked out service for nearly a week.
Trains were not running between Tunney’s Pasture and St. Laurent stations in the immediate aftermath of the storm, with some service between St. Laurent and Blair in the east end of the line. Some partial service was later restored, but transit riders had to wait until July 29 before the trains were running again end to end.
July 30, 2022 - End-to-end travel times on LRT longer following axle hub failure
Following a failure of one of the wheel hubs on one of the trains earlier in July, and the pulling of several trains for inspections, OC Transpo warned that travel times would be increasing as operators were ordered to slow down on certain parts of the track.
OC Transpo said it would take customers approximately four to five minutes longer to make the full end-to-end trip, which usually clocks in at around 25 minutes.
Aug. 27, 2022 - OC Transpo blames IT system issue for interrupting LRT service
Transit riders took replacement buses because of what OC Transpo initially dubbed a “system wide communication issue” at 6 a.m. Some service was later restored to the eastern portion of the line before full service resumed at 7:30 a.m.
OC Transpo said the issue affected the control room’s ability to control the ventilation system in the downtown tunnel and at St. Laurent Station, a piece of safety critical equipment required to operate trains.
Oct. 3, 2022 - Collision near Tremblay Station outside normal hours
While performing routine maintenance on Line 1 outside of revenue service hours near Tremblay Station, a hi-rail vehicle travelling in reverse made contact at low speed with another hi-rail vehicle.
There were no injuries and there was minor damage both vehicles.
Dec. 17, 2022 - Part of Ottawa LRT shut down due to mechanical failure
A mechanical failure on part of the LRT caused disruptions for travellers.
Around 11:45 p.m. Dec. 17, part of the overhead catenary system—the cables that power the trains—experienced a mechanical failure near Lees station.
OC Transpo said the preliminary review indicated that there was an issue with a previous repair that was identified during a regular inspection to the power cables.
For much of the day Sunday, trains ran on loops between Tunney’s Pasture and uOttawa stations and from Hurdman to Blair stations. Replacement bus service was between Rideau and Hurdman stations.
Dec. 21, 2022 - Incident involving hi-rail snow blower
While performing routine maintenance on O-Train Line 1 outside of revenue service hours, the maintenance team mounted a hi-rail snow blower on track 1 between uOttawa and Lees stations.
The blower portion of the unit was not mounted properly and slid off the rails shortly after it moved forward.
There were no injuries but there was minor damage to the blower unit.
Dec. 30, 2022 - Damage to overhead wires cuts O-Train service in east end
An overnight incident that damaged the overhead power lines to the O-Train disrupted service in the east end early in the day on New Year’s Eve.
A wire that supports the overhead catenary power system, called a parafil, snapped just after 11:30 p.m. Dec. 30 near Cyrville Station. Late night service continued to run on the entire line, with just one track available between Tremblay and Blair stations.
OC Transpo reported a mechanical failure between St. Laurent and Blair stations the following morning. R1 buses replaced the train between Blair and St. Laurent until 9 a.m. Dec. 31, when full service was restored.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.