LRT service resumes after damaged wire disrupts travel for hours
OC Transpo says LRT service has resumed in full after more than seven hours of disruptions Wednesday.
The transit service announced just after 10 a.m. that there was a stopped train, and passengers could only use the eastbound platforms between uOttawa and Hurdman stations.
At 10:55 a.m., the transit service announced there was no LRT service between the three stations.Transit Services General Manager Renée Amilcar said in a memo that damage was found on the wires that power the train near Lees Station, described by Amilcar as a "gouge" in the overhead catenary system.
A stopped LRT train near Lees Station. Feb. 14, 2024. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)
R1 bus service ran between Rideau and Hurdman stations, while LRT service continued to operate between Tunney's Pasture and uOttawa and between Blair and Hurdman stations for much of the day.
Amilcar said in a second memo at around 5:30 p.m. that full service had resumed.
"Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) were able to complete a splice repair to the Overhead Catenary System (OCS) near Lees Station and have completed all necessary inspections to confirm the system is safe to operate in the area. R1 bus service between Rideau and St-Laurent stations will conclude shortly," she wrote.
In a memo to council late Wednesday evening, Amilcar provided more details about the issue with the overhead catenary wire and the reason for the full LRT line was shut down between uOttawa and Hurdman stations.
Just before 10 a.m., a westbound train with approximately 50 customers onboard stopped outside of Lees Station after the vehicle experienced a power loss.
"Preliminary indications are that the power loss may have been due to a mechanical fault with the pantograph which subsequently caused minor damage to the overhead catenary wire," Amilcar wrote.
At 10:40 a.m., a second train stopped near uOttawa Station due to an "unrelated mechanical issue," Amilcar said.
"Due to the location of this stopped train, it was no longer possible to continue travelling through the single track corridor, and R1 bus service was implemented to keep customers moving," Amilcar wrote, adding it was cleared from the line around 12:30 p.m. while repairs near Lees Station continued.
Both vehicles are undergoing further testing.
Amilcar says Rideau Transit Maintenance will continue a "more permanent repair" to the overhead wires this weekend during the maintenance period.
"At this time, it is not believed that this incident is related to current weather conditions or the issue that affected the OCS over the weekend."
Passengers forced to disembark stopped train
Passengers on one of the trains that stopped on the line were forced to disembark and walk back to the nearest station Wednesday morning.
The wind chill was around -20 at the time.
"Pretty stressful, especially because there's no answers on what's going on," said passenger Taylor Watson-Fluker, who goes to Carleton University.
Watson-Fluker ultimately chose to take an Uber instead of waiting for a bus.
Others chose to walk.
"It's an awfully expensive thing to have not working. But I love the train when it's running," one passenger said.
--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Peter Szperling and Josh Pringle
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.