Loose gearbox blamed for Sept. 19 LRT train derailment
A loose gearbox has gotten the blame for the Sept. 19 train derailment on Ottawa's Confederation Line LRT.
The derailment, the second in six weeks, happened approximately half a kilometre away from Tremblay Station, just beyond the rail bridge over Riverside Drive. The Transportation Safety Board reported that the train derailed before entering Tremblay Station and continued in the derailed state over the bridge before hitting a signal mast and switch heater.
Speaking to city council on Wednesday, City Manager Steve Kanellakos said the Rideau Transit Group told the city, "The bolts that secure the gearbox to the (light rail vehicle) were not torqued properly or verified, according to Alstom."
The gearbox came loose and was dragged along the track, Kanellakos said.
The LRT has been shut down completely since the Sept. 19 derailment, but Kanellakos said there is currently no timeline for a return to service.
The Rideau Transit Group must present the city with a return-to-service plan, which needs to be vetted independently by Philadelphia-based TRA Inc. before any trains will run again on the line.
"Once we receive the date from RTG, the city will not accept the return to service for the O-Train Confederation Line until TRA completes its review and provides its recommendations to the city for consideration and acceptance," Kanellakos said. "We need this system back up as soon as possible but it must be both safe and reliable."
Kanellakos added that the infrastructure repairs on the line should be completed by this week. The TSB said last week that the train car caused damage inside Tremblay Station and along the tracks stretching back to St. Laurent Station before it eventually stopped west of Riverside Drive.
In September, representatives from Rideau Transit Maintenance suggested shortly after the Sept. 19 derailment that it could take approximately three weeks before service might resume.
The Sept. 19 derailment came less than two months following a derailment on Aug. 8 near Tunney's Pasture Station.
No one was hurt in either derailment. The train involved in the Aug. 8 derailment was out of service and headed back to the maintenance yard, but there were 12 passengers and an operator on the train that derailed on Sept. 19.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Canada Post’s newest stamp features special cookies for Islamic holiday
Canada Post’s newest specialty stamps feature “melt-in-your-mouth” desserts to mark two Islamic festivals, the crown corporation announced Thursday.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6 per cent in January as Quebec strikes end
Canada's real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December, Statistics Canada said Thursday.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.