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
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.