Mayor Sutcliffe meets with Alstom officials as O-Train shutdown continues into a third weekend
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe met with officials from Alstom to discuss short-term and long-term solutions for the light-rail transit system on Friday, as work continued to reposition the restraining rails with the goal to resume O-Train service on Aug. 14.
"There's no doubt in my mind that the people at Alstom are committed to delivering to Ottawa the safe, reliable system that we expect and deserve," Sutcliffe said on Friday, describing the meeting as "very productive."
The mayor met virtually with officials from the manufacturer of the light-rail transit vehicles on day 19 of the shutdown of the LRT system after an axle-bearing issue was discovered on one train during a routine 50,000 km inspection. The return-to-service plan includes inspecting all 44 LRVs in the fleet, replacing the leading and trailing wheel hub assemblies and axles every 60,000 km and repositioning 16 restraining rails at eight locations along the LRT line.
"During that meeting, I was clear about the expectations of Ottawa residents that we not only get the trains running safely, as soon as possible, but that we also fix the root causes," Sutcliffe told reporters.
"Alstom is committed to delivering the consistently safe, reliable system that Ottawa residents expect, that they deserve and that they have paid for.
"We need to address the root causes on two fronts. The consortium is taking steps to improve the infrastructure that has been causing wear and tear on the trains, including moving the restraining rails and also other measures, and they are proceeding with a redesign of the axles and the wheel hub assemblies for increased reliability."
OC Transpo officials say they are confident LRT service will resume on Aug. 14, after a 28-day shutdown of the full system.
The light-rail transit system has been shut down since July 17, after an axle-bearing issue was discovered on one train. The O-Train was originally scheduled to return-to-service last Monday, but Rideau Transit Group (RTG) and Alstom said the Safety Note to return to service required repositioning each of the restraining rails to ensure there is no contact with the train wheels.
"RTG begun the repositioning of the restraining rails (Thursday)," Transit Services general manager Renee Amilcar said.
"They are working at the 16 locations that require adjustment; that work continues today and will continue throughout the weekend. This work requires a high degree of precision and is expected to take up to 10 days to complete."
Officials have described moving the restraining rails as a "labour-intensive process," requiring the brackets bolted into the ground to be moved as the rail is adjusted 1 to 2 millimetres.
Amilcar says Rideau Transit Group and OC Transpo continue to finalize the remaining items in the Atkins Global report on the restraining rail system, and the risk assessment is almost complete.
As of Friday, 19 trains have had their hub assemblies replaced and will be available when service resumes. Amilcar says RTG can replace two hubs every two days.
OC Transpo plans to provide details on the return-to-service plan, including whether it will be single-car or double-car trains, next week. An information session is being scheduled for councillors.
"I'm confident, based on the work done by the combined teams….that we have a solid plan to restore rail service," Amilcar said. "This combined team will be working throughout the long weekend; there is a lot of work for us to do and we are committed to maintaining the schedule we have put forward."
OC Transpo, Rideau Transit Group and the mayor have been touting the long-term fix for the LRT system, which will see Alstom and RTG redesign the wheel hub assembly to address the ongoing bearing issue. It will take 12 to 18 months to design and test the new axle.
City of Ottawa officials say they believe "several factors" have contributed to the issue with the wheel-bearing and the axle, and now the goal is to reduce the "extra forces" on the wheel hub.
"My sense of where they're coming from is their view….it's a combination of factors that has led to the issues we've experienced," Sutcliffe said.
"It's the pressure on the wheels and the axles, on that whole assembly, that needs to be addressed. On the pressure side, we're looking at lubricating the tracks, we're looking at slightly moving the restraining rails and there are other measures being taken to reduce the pressure being applied to the wheel system.
"They feel that the current system is safe, but the redesign is going to lead to a higher level of safety, a safer system. We'll have both a safer wheel and axle system and we'll have reduced pressure being put on that system."
Sutcliffe says he asked "a lot of questions" during his meeting with Alstom, and laid out the expectations of transit riders.
"The response I heard was that Alstom is committed to finding a permanent solution to the issues we've been having."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes
Donald Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes Thursday as a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex.
Can Trump come to Canada now that he's a convicted felon?
A Canadian immigration lawyer says now that Donald Trump is a convicted felon, he is technically barred from crossing the border into Canada.
Montreal tech billionaire charged with several sex offences
Robert Miller was charged Thursday with several sexual assault charges after Montreal police reopened an investigation into the tech billionaire.
Police: 3 killed, including suspected gunman, in Minneapolis shooting
Three people, including the suspected gunman, are dead after a shooting Thursday at a Minneapolis apartment complex, police said.
'Why didn't they stop?' Mom asks of driver in hit-and-run crash that killed son
The mother of a 13-year-old boy who was killed in a hit-and-run in Edmonton is begging the driver to come forward.
The northern lights are returning to night skies across Canada this Friday
If you missed the brilliant displays of the aurora borealis over North America on May 10, you may have another chance to see them on Friday night.
A pair enjoyed pricey meals and bolted when it was time to pay. Their dine and dash ended in jail
A Welsh couple who dined out on pricey meals and bolted when the bill came is now paying the price, behind bars.
$400K in damages for B.C. woman who had unnecessary mastectomy was 'inordinately high,' court finds
A jury's award of $400,000 to a woman who had a mastectomy after being misdiagnosed with breast cancer has been substantially reduced by B.C.'s highest court, which found the damages were "wholly disproportionate."