LRT service to remain suspended until the weekend following minor derailment
Service on the Confederation Line LRT will remain suspended until at least Friday, according to OC Transpo, following a minor derailment Sunday evening.
Service was suspended Monday after the wheels of one of a train's 10 axles left the track as it was leaving Tunney's Pasture Station. The train had no passengers on board, remained upright, and there were no injuries reported.
In a memo Monday evening, OC Transpo General Manager John Manconi said the investigation into the incident is focused on the axle bearing and every train must be inspected, a process that takes several hours per train. As a result, he said OC Transpo is targeting a return to LRT service that is "adequate to meet current ridership levels on Friday or Saturday of this week."
In another memo on Tuesday, Manconi said the stopped train will likely be moved Wednesday. Specialized equipment is required to move the train without causing any damage.
"The movement of the train needs to be planned and managed carefully in order to ensure the weight of the train is distributed evenly and the vehicle can be moved without damage to it or other rail infrastructure," Manconi wrote. "Once these preparations are complete, the train is expected to be moved back to the (maintenance and storage facility) tomorrow."
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) announced Monday that it had sent a team of investigators to the scene.
In a statement to CTV News Ottawa on Monday, the TSB said it was told one of the train's wheels derailed while crossing tracks, which damaged one of the switches on the line.
"At 8:34 p.m., 8 August 2021, an empty two-car Light Rail Transit O-Train was crossing from track 1 to track 2 at Tunney’s Pasture when one wheel on the one of the cars derailed on a switch. The train remained upright. There were no injuries and no dangerous goods involved. The switch was damaged," the statement said.
Manconi said that the scope of the TSB's role as it relates to this incident is still being determined.
Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM), which maintains the Confederation Line, is searching for the root cause of the initial incident on Sunday, Manconi said.
"Once the train involved in the incident is returned to the (maintenance and storage facility), the affected axle bearing assembly will be disassembled in order to do a detailed review."
Director of Transit Operations Troy Charter told CTV News Ottawa in an interview on Tuesday that he is confident RTM will get to the bottom of this latest incident.
"We’ve had good reliability for the past year. That, to me, is indicative of--we’re getting through those growing pains and RTM is stepping up and investing the time and effort and resources and correcting those issues that plagued us the first 16 months of service," he said.
Reliability on the LRT prior to this incident was as high as 99 per cent over the past 12 months, Charter said; however, the Confederation Line has also been operating well below capacity since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began. OC Transpo said Monday that ridership across the transit system was at 30 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in July, noting that it had been below 20 per cent earlier in the year during stay-at-home orders and lockdowns.
Charter said a return to service by Friday or Saturday would be dependent on the investigation into root cause of Sunday's incident and the results of the inspections on the train cars.
R1 bus service has replaced the LRT between Tunney's Pasture and Blair stations. Manconi said OC Transpo staff are monitoring ridership and will make adjustments to service as needed to meet ridership levels.
No cost to city
A brief statement from Manconi, sent late Tuesday afternoon, said the ongoing closure of the Confederation Line would not affect city taxpayers.
"The current O-Train Line 1 suspension of service will have no cost to the City of Ottawa," the statement said. "Rideau Transit Maintenance's (RTM’s) monthly payment is calculated based on several factors including vehicle availability, station availability, kilometres travelled and other indicators. As a result of this current service suspension, deductions from RTM’s monthly payment will be significant. While the current Line 1 service suspension continues, the total amount of deductions is yet to be finalized."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
Senators reject field trip to African Lion Safari amid elephant bill study
The Senate legal affairs committee has rejected a motion calling for members to take a $50,000 field trip to the African Lion Safari in southern Ontario to see the zoo's elephant exhibit.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.