LRT service disrupted downtown after water leak at Rideau Station
Ottawa LRT service was briefly disrupted downtown because of a water leak in the tunnel at Rideau Station. Service has since been restored.
Service was restored about 30 minutes after the initial alarm. A fire alarm was ringing and Rideau Station was closed to commuters and special constables were turning commuters away, directing them to R1 buses.
R1 service was in place between Tunney's Pasture and Hurdman stations while Rideau Station was closed.
OC Transpo director of transit service delivery and rail operations Troy Charter told CTV News in a statement Tuesday evening a pipe had burst around the time a fire alarm was activated.
"Around 3 p.m. today a fire alarm was activated at Rideau Station and a significant water leak was detected near the westbound platform. Rideau Station closed to allow Ottawa Fire Services to conduct an investigation," Charter said. "Preliminary reports indicate that the cause of the water leak was a burst sprinkler system pipe."
Transportation Services GM Renée Amilcar said Wednesday the recent temperature fluctuations caused condensation to build up inside the station dry sprinkler system that subsequently froze causing a pipe to burst.
"RTM is reviewing its proactive maintenance procedures, specifically the intervals at which the system is drained of excess water, to prevent similar incidents from occurring," she said.
Charter said R1 service was issued between Hurdman and Tunney's Pasture stations, while train service ran from Blair to Hurdman because of the work required to safetly address the leak at Rideau Station.
"Throughout the disruption customers were kept informed through announcements made on trains and at stations, direct text messages, and updates shared on our social media platforms," said Charter.
OC Transpo's own communications through tweets, text alerts and emails, however, said full service was running but trains would not stop at Rideau Station.
In fact, trains were stopped between Hurdman and Tunney's Pasture during the disruption, as the statement attributed to Charter said.
Full train service was restored just after 4 p.m.
Video taken by a Twitter user shows the leak in the tunnel.
The user, Craig, told CTV News by DM that he was waiting for the westbound train when the alarm began to sound and water started gushing onto the tracks.
The video he posted was taken at 3:22 p.m., he said, after the water had been pouring for about five minutes. An OC Transpo special constable asked him to leave the platform and he said he waited upstairs for about 15 to 20 minutes before R1 service was announced. During that time, the water continued to pour from the wall.
CTV's Michael Woods was taking the R1 bus from Rideau during the disruption and said it took passengers to Lyon Station before passengers were told to disembark.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec police officer stabbed and killed during arrest, second wounded
A Quebec provincial police officer was fatally stabbed Monday night while performing an arrest in Louiseville, west of Trois-Rivieres, Que. The Surete du Quebec (SQ) has confirmed the identity of the officer, Sgt. Maureen Breau, who had been on the force for over 20 years. She was assigned to the post of the MRC de Maskinonge. Another officer was injured during the incident, but their life is not in danger.

Liberals to go after predatory lending in today's budget, invest in dental care plan
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is set to table a federal budget in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon, which a federal source says will include plans to go after predatory lending and more details on dental care as part of a pitch to make life more affordable.
Canada heading into 'mild recession' as tight monetary policy squeezes growth: report
New research says Canada is heading into a mild recession as elevated borrowing costs, a downturn in the U.S. and persistent inflation dial up the country's economic uncertainty.
Security, support services needed to tackle violence on Canadian transit: analyst
Cities across Canada need greater security on transit and improved access to mental health and addiction services in order to help Canadians feel safe, one public safety analyst says.
Here's why advocates want 'femicide' in Canada's Criminal Code
Advocates against women's violence are urging the government to add femicide to the Criminal Code, saying it would bring further awareness to the term and the tragedies it describes.
Nashville shooter was ex-student with detailed plan to kill
The former student who shot through the doors of a Christian elementary school in Nashville and killed three children and three adults had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance of the building before carrying out the massacre.
How many COVID-19 vaccine doses should you have by now?
Here is a summary of the current COVID-19 vaccination guidelines from NACI, for both children and adults who are at increased risk of serious illness and those who are not.
Walmart Canada CEO says retailer not trying to profit from inflation
Walmart Canada is not trying to profit from food inflation, president and CEO Gonzalo Gebara told a parliamentary committee studying the issue Monday evening.
Indigenous concert in Vancouver cancelled over questions about performer's identity claims
The Vancouver Park Board and Britannia Community Services Centre cancelled an event Sunday that had been advertised as part of an Indigenous concert series in Grandview Park.