Mayor gives Alstom, RTM officials 'come to Jesus' talk
Mayor Jim Watson has met with officials from Rideau Transit Group, Rideau Transit Maintenance and Alstom, for what he calls a 'come to Jesus' talk to fix Ottawa's two-year-old Confederation Line.
The Mayor's Office tells CTV News Ottawa Watson met Thursday morning zia Zoom with officials from the consortium running Ottawa's Light Rail Transit system and train-maker Alstom, four days after an LRT car derailed near Tremblay Station.
In an interview with Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa at Work with Leslie Roberts before the meeting, Watson said he would have a pointed discussion with officials to fix the LRT system after two derailments in six weeks.
"I'm going to basically give them a blast and tell them they have let down our city, they've let down our passengers, they've let down our council and they've let down their credibility as an organization," said Watson Thursday morning.
"I can't think that they're very proud of what's going on here, they've certainly told me that in the past. They're going to get a come to Jesus talk with me pushing them to get more resources here, higher skill set to go through every single train to make sure that this thing doesn't happen again."
On Sunday, an LRT train travelling westbound with 12 passengers and a rail operator onboard stopped near the Riverside Drive overpass after a set of wheels left the track. The derailment caused "significant damage" to the LRT car, the track and infrastructure.
On Tuesday, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said the LRT train actually derailed before entering Tremblay Station at approximately 12:15 p.m. on Sept. 19, approximately 500 metres from where the train stopped.
"The train then departed the station in the derailed condition and continued over the rail bridge that traversed Riverside Drive before striking a signal mast and switch heater that were adjacent to and north of track 1," said the TSB.
Transportation Services General Manager John Manconi told reporters on Wednesday OC Transpo and RTG are trying to determine where the train derailed.
"I saw some of the video footage, I can't tell you where it derailed, nor can my rail experts that have been operating trains for a very long time," said Manconi.
The derailed rail car returned to the Belfast maintenance and storage facility on Wednesday afternoon for further inspection.
Rideau Transit Maintenance has said it could be three weeks before rail service resumes.
It was the second derailment involving Ottawa's light rail transit system in six weeks.
On Aug. 8, an axle became dislodged from the track after a fault in the axle bearing assembly. The O-Train was shutdown for five days while RTM conducted inspections on all trains.
"My objective first and foremost is to get the system fixed, stabilize the system and grow the system so that we bring a higher degree of confidence back to the public, and the passengers in particular, who have lost obviously a lot of confidence in the system because of the last two episodes," said Watson.
"At the end of the day our job is to be, number one focus, get the system back up and running safely and to ensure that we've done everything we possibly can to provide reliable service. That's what the public wants."
Watson says OC Transpo will make sure the Confederation Line is "100 per cent safe" when it's relaunched, and signed off by all the safety experts.
"The number one of priority for me in the next few weeks is to get the system back running," said Watson.
"The train has now been removed off the site and is back in the maintenance facility, and as soon as we can get all of the crews to fix everything that was damaged as a result of that derailment on Sunday, we'll have to do that."
The LRT shutdown is frustrating transit users across the city.
Patsy Verdon’s grocery run, from Lebreton Flats to the St. Laurent Shopping Centre, would normally take about 15 minutes each way. However, with the R1 Replacement Bus Service running instead of the O-Train, her trip across the city will double.
"I depend on the LRT because of my wheelchair,” says Verdun, who has to wait at her bus stop in the rain. "It’s better on the LRT because you know it’s coming every three minutes. Here you don’t know when it’s coming, sometimes it’s very late. It is very frustrating it is always breaking down."
The Transportation Safety Board will provide the ultimate sign-off to clear the Confederation Line for a return to service.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
These snakes not only fake their own deaths, they use gory special effects to do it
Awards season may be over for human actors this year, but there’s no rest for some of nature’s most audacious thespians.