Confederation Line service will resume in weeks, not months: Ottawa transit commission chair
The chair of Ottawa's transit commission suggests it will be weeks, not months, before the Confederation Line resumes service following last month's derailment.
Coun. Allan Hubley adds he's optimistic Rideau Transit Group can fix the problems with Ottawa's two-year-old light rail transit service permanently.
"I've lost confidence in their abilities here," said Hubley during an interview on CTV Morning Live Thursday morning.
"I haven't said that they can't do it, it's just they need to prove this to us. This is their chance to step up to show our ridership and the taxpayers of Ottawa that these are the right people for this job."
The Confederation Line has been out of service since Sept. 19, after an LRT car derailed near Tremblay Station, damaging the car, the track and the rail infrastructure. Rideau Transit Group said on Sept. 20 that it expected the rail line to be out of service for three weeks while the damage was repaired.
CTV Morning Live host Leslie Roberts asked Hubley if he had to target a date for the O-Train to resume service, would it be 30 days, three months or longer.
"Unfortunately, I cannot give you a specific date. We have to wait for the Transportation Safety Board to do their job, we've got to give them time and space to do a thorough investigation and provide us with direction from that," said Hubley.
"My hope is that once we get that green light from the Transportation Safety Board, RTM will be very quick in getting the trains out on the track.
"I definitely have no indication that it's going to be like months, I think we're talking weeks but I can't tell you how many weeks."
On Sept. 24, the city of Ottawa issued a Notice of Default to Rideau Transit Group as a result of the derailments on Aug. 8 and Sept. 19. On Tuesday, the finance and economic development committee voted to deliver a 'Notice of Dispute' to RTG, which escalates the legal dispute between the city and consortium operating the system.
"The derailments have caused severe reputational harm to the City and to the System," said a letter from Michael Morgan, Ottawa's director of rail, to RTG.
"The Derailments are affecting ridership and have seriously undermined the public's confidence in the System.RTG does not appear to appreciate the gravity of the current situation given its refusal and/or inability to implement swift and appropriate actions with an adequate level of resourcing."
A motion at FEDCO stated the city of Ottawa found RTG's plan to reduce service and the schedule were unsatisfactory. No details on RTG's plan to resume service were released to the public.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.