Maintenance on LRT will close parts of line early every night in mid-August
Planned maintenance on Ottawa's LRT line later this month will cause parts of the line to shut down early in the evenings.
OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar said in a memo Tuesday that the work would begin Aug. 12 and continue until Aug. 25.
"During the two-week maintenance period, certain sections of O-Train Line 1 will close as early as 8 p.m. Work will occur at intervals along the system and non-work areas will remain open for customers," Amilcar wrote.
The work will include rail grinding and profiling and other proactive maintenance such as switch heater calibration ahead of the winter and rail repairs and replacements. The work was originally scheduled to take place in June but was postponed because of a shipping delay.
R1 bus service will be available on nights when the Confederation Line is closed early. Rail service will resume at the usual times each morning: 5 a.m. on weekdays, 6 a.m. on Saturdays, and 8 a.m. on Sundays.
Amilcar said more information would be provided later this week when the maintenance schedule is finalized.
"This work is being conducted during summer months in evenings and at night, when ridership is lower, to minimize customer impacts as much as possible," the memo said.
Speaking on CTV Morning Live, transit commission chair Coun. Allan Hubley said the rail grinding would help make parts of the ride smoother for customers.
This maintenance comes shortly after part of the line was damaged by a lightning strike, requiring the replacement of nearly a kilometre of overhead wires and other repairs. Part of the system was offline for about five days.
Twenty train cars were also removed from service last month for inspections following an axle hub failure on one of the trains. Hubley said that 11 double-car trains and a spare train were available as of 6 a.m. Tuesday and he expects more cars will clear inspections each day. Rideau Transit Maintenance previously estimated they could inspect and replace the axle hubs on roughly two train cars per day.
The root cause of the axle hub failure has yet to be determined, but RTM CEO Mario Guerra told reporters last week that he suspected component fatigue may have been a factor.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed Thursday in Nepean dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Mexican authorities say thieves killed 2 Australians and an American to steal their truck
Thieves killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck, particularly because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.