Confederation Line shutdown enters a third week with no word on reopening timeline
Ottawa's city manager says Rideau Transit Group and Rideau Transit Maintenance are still working on a timeline to resume service on the Light Rail Transit system.
However, Steve Kanellakos is denying social media rumours the Confederation Line will be shutdown another four months following the derailment two weeks ago.
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 rail infrastructure.
A social media account said an anonymous driver said an OC Transpo supervisor indicated the O-Train would be down till mid-February because Rideau Transit Maintenance did not have the parts to quickly repair the infrastructure.
In a memo to councillors and transit commissioners addressing social media rumours and the LRT shutdown, Kanellakos said, "I will confirm that this information is not accurate."
"We have been in regular discussions with RTG and RTM into this weekend and there is no indication that they don’t have the necessary parts and/or materials to complete the infrastructure repairs," said Kanellakos in a memo obtained by CTV News Ottawa.
Rideau Transit Maintenance suggested on Sept. 20 that the LRT would be out of service for at least three weeks due to the damage caused by the derailment, and no update has been provided since.
"They are working on a comprehensive timeline for both the infrastructure repairs and the return to service of the trains," said Kanellakos on Sunday. "We will be updating Council and the Transit Commission as soon as we have the information."
The city of Ottawa is currently looking to retain a firm to conduct an independent safety review of the LRT system and the return to service plan.
On Sept. 24, the city announced STV Inc. would be hired to conduct a third-party review. However, Kanellakos announced on Sept. 28 that STV would not conduct the review after questions were raised about its independence.
STV provided consulting services during LRT construction, leading critics to suggest their review would not be truly independent.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.