City calling on RTG to explore adding heat detectors to LRT vehicles
The City of Ottawa says it agrees with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada that the risk mitigation regime on Ottawa's LRT is insufficient and they're telling the Rideau Transit Group to explore the idea of adding heat detectors on the trains.
In a memo sent Tuesday afternoon, City Manager Steve Kanellakos responded to a rail safety advisory letter sent by the TSB on Monday. The TSB said that the LRT train that derailed outside Tunney's Pasture Station on Aug. 8 had experienced problems several hours before and that a wheel on one of the cars had severed from its axle because of what it called a "previously undetected catastrophic roller bearing failure and subsequent axle journal burn-off."
The TSB noted that Ottawa's LRT trains do not have heat detection systems which might have caught the overheated axle before a problem occurred and that the strategy of mitigating these problems through routine inspection wasn't good enough.
Kanellakos agreed.
"While a limited number of urban light rail systems include this feature, it is not consistently applied on Canadian urban light rail systems. Alstom’s maintenance regime should manage and mitigate this risk, according to their established practices,” Kanellakos wrote. “The City and the TSB have now determined that these practices are insufficient. In reviewing RTG’s safety documentation and the recent derailment, the TSB specifically notes in the RSA letter that the current mitigations for a roller bearing failure have proven to be insufficient and this is the area that RTG needs to address with Alstom.”
He said that the city is now asking RTG to find a solution to detect these issues before they occur.
"[T]he City will be using our rights under the Project Agreement, to require RTG to explore solutions that would provide an early detection of bearing failures," Kanellakos wrote. "As noted in the TSB letter, the arrangement of bearings precludes effective visual inspection and temperatures cannot be monitored by traditional wayside hot bearing detectors (heat detection units mounted at track level)."
Kanellakos said a final determination of the root cause for this failure is required from RTG and their subcontractor to determine the repairs and mitigation strategies that are required.
The Confederation Line was shut down for five days following the Aug. 8 derailment and nine additional train cars had to undergo additional maintenance to repair loose axle bearings
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.