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Improperly lubricated gear box to blame for LRT delay near Blair Station

A westbound train travels along the Confederation Line of Ottawa's Light Rail System. A westbound train travels along the Confederation Line of Ottawa's Light Rail System.
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An improperly lubricated gear box was responsible for an issue on the Confederation Line LRT last week, a city official said Tuesday.

OC Transpo brought R1 bus service into effect at around 11 a.m. March 10 due to an issue on the line near Blair Station. Full service resumed about two hours later.

A memo from the city's chief safety officer of transit services Duane Duquette said although the investigation into the root cause of the issue is ongoing, "workmanship appears to be the contributing factor."

He says 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.

"Alstom technicians inspected the stopped train at Blair Station which confirmed that a gearbox failed due to an inadequate amount of lubrication fluid in the unit," Duquette said.

The incident has been reported to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

Duquette said an inspection of the entire fleet was conducted to ensure all gear boxes were adequately lubricated. The issue on March 10 was deemed an isolated incident.

"The City is working with external stakeholders and RTM to examine quality assurance practices and implement corrective measures to prevent incidents like this from reoccurring," Duquette said.

This incident is one of 27 the city has reported to the TSB since the system's launch in 2019. A full list is available on OC Transpo's website.

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