OC Transpo admits full trains leaving some passengers at O-Train stations

OC Transpo concedes some passengers have been forced to wait for the next train at Confederation Line stations this month due to full trains, as more riders return to the system following the Labour Day weekend.

With the O-Train operating mostly with single-car service between Blair and Tunney's Pasture stations in September, some passengers have complained on social media about full trains and packed platforms.

"Ottawa has captured some of that exciting big-city Tokyo energy!" Shannon Proudfoot, Globe and Mail reporter, said on social media Thursday.

"The half-length trains are now so crowded that people have to physically shove to get on and off."

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One rider responded to Proudfoot, saying a westbound train at Hurdman left "at least 50 per cent of the people on the platform."

On Monday, OC Transpo increased the number of single-car trains running during the morning and afternoon peak periods to accommodate the increased demand, with some double-car trains running along the LRT line. As of Thursday, there are now seven single-car trains and six double-car trains running during the peak periods. 

Director of Transit Operations Troy Charter told the Transit Commission that staff are confident the current service levels are meeting ridership demands, but there are times when passengers are being left at the stations.

"There are a handful of occurrences every day in those peak times, very, very short windows of time, where one or two stations you may see 5, 10, 15 (people) and there's been a few occurrences where it's been a little bit more than that of not everyone boarding a train," Charter said Thursday.

"Sometimes it's people electing to wait for the next train, next train's likely going to be that double train or something like that, and it will have more space.

"But there are certain situations, particularly at uOttawa when a class lets out, where we see a slightly larger number of people. For the most part, the train service that we are providing is meeting the capacity with some very limited situations in those peak of the peak periods where some people are electing to either stay or technically can't board."

Students at uOttawa admit they have to rush to get a spot on a train during peak periods.

"It is way too busy. They are running half a train and its way too jammed," Amelia MacDonald said. "It's awful."

Carter Johnston Nielson says the train is "very busy, especially in the morning we are packed like sardines a bit."

Johnston Nielson says he has seen classmates not be able to board.

"You are getting back into the door, people are holding them open because no one can get in on time."

OC Transpo reported 101,630 customer trips on Line 1 on Sept. 7, with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe saying it was the highest weekday ridership on the O-Train since last November.

Charter says they expect ridership to adjust during the last half of September.

"Historically, our ridership tends to be really high the first couple weeks of September then does tend to dip down a little bit as people get into their rhythms and change their travel patterns."

The Confederation Line was out of service for 28 days after an issue was detected with an axle-bearing on one LRT vehicle on July 17. A stricter maintenance regime includes replacing the front and rear wheel hubs on all LRT vehicles every 60,000 km.

OC Transpo resumed LRT service with single-vehicle service at all times, saying it was enough capacity to meet demands.

A report on the axle-bearing issue and other issues that have caused LRT disruptions this year will be presented to the Transit Commission on Oct. 12.

No money paid to RTG in July

OC Transpo general manager Renee Amilcar told councillors that OC Transpo will not pay Rideau Transit Group/Rideau Transit Maintenance for service in July due to the service disruptions.

Coun. Shawn Menard asked Amilcar about a possible notice of default to Rideau Transit Group for the service not delivered over the summer.

"We are still negotiating with RTM and RTG and I don’t want to say anything that could not help me," Amilcar said.

"When RTG doesn't deliver the service, we don't pay RTG."

Amilcar says OC Transpo is negotiating with Rideau Transit Group on payments with the adjusted service levels.

"Now we know RTG is delivering the service, but not the way that we expect. I'm in the process of negotiating with them because I have my view on how much I should pay them for this level of service versus what I was expected," Amilcar said.

"For July, definitely, will be zero dollar to RTG – this is firm. I'm working on August and potentially September as well."

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Leah Larocque