OC Transpo bringing double-car LRT service back on weekdays
OC Transpo says passengers on the Confederation Line will see more double-car trains starting next week.
Service on the LRT has been largely relegated to single-car trains following last summer's 28-day shutdown over axle issues. Some double-car trains have been made available during peak periods in the past four months, but OC Transpo now says that regular double-car service will run on weekdays starting Monday.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
"The move to double-car trains is due to a new measure that extends the life of the wheel hub assemblies on the vehicles while continuing to ensure the ongoing safe operation of the fleet," said a memo written by acting GM of Transit Services Richard Holder.
Trains will operate approximately every five to six minutes, he said.
Single-car train service will continue to operate on weekends to meet current ridership levels.
The move to single-car service in August came as a result of an updated safety note from train manufacturer Alstom that now requires axle hub assemblies to be replaced every 60,000 km of service. Running single cars was meant to reduce the amount of service kilometres on each vehicle in order to extend the life of the axle hubs.
The return to double-car service, which is the service level that was promised for Line 1, comes as part of a test of a short-term solution to axle hub problems that have troubled the line for years.
The city's Transit Commission heard last month that the Rideau Transit Group (RTG) and Alstom have proposed placing a pin in the restraining nut on the axle hubs to prevent it from unscrewing. This is meant to serve as a stop gap until Alstom redesigns the axle hub assemblies and the new assemblies are fully installed across the fleet, which was touted by OC Transpo officials as the permanent solution to the problems with the axles.
In his memo, Holder said Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) completed the necessary testing and analysis of the proposed nut pinning solution.
"OC Transpo and Transportation Resource Associates (TRA) are satisfied that safety requirements have been met and the hub assemblies with the nut pinning solution can now be deployed to in-service vehicles. This added measure allows for the immediate return to double-car trains on Line 1," Holder wrote.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was happy with the announcement.
"I’m pleased to see the return of double-car train service. This brings us one step closer to delivering a level of service that our customers expect and deserve," he said in a City of Ottawa news release.
Transit Commission chair Coun. Glen Gower added, "This is great news for commuters who I know will appreciate the extra space on O-Train Line 1. We continue to work to improve service reliability for transit riders."
Holder added that test trains would operate during regular service hours over the next couple of months to gather additional data for ongoing safety assurance and to allow for early detection of potential issues.
Transit riders might see these test trains on occasion. Announcements at stations will advise customers that the approaching train is not in service. Test trains are also labelled with decals.
A Line 1 test train at Hurdman Station. (Ted Raymond/CTV News Ottawa)
There have been three major incidents related to the wheel hub and axle bearing assembly since August 2021, including the derailment of an LRT vehicle at Tunney's Pasture Station. O-Train service was interrupted for 28 days in July and August 2023 after a routine inspection discovered excess grease on an axle hub assembly on one train.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
Video appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016
Security video aired by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
Scottie Scheffler isn't the first pro golfer to be arrested during a tournament
Scottie Scheffler's arrest hours before his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will go down as one of the most shocking in professional golf history. It certainly wasn't the first, though.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta border: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Anglers reel in 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off coast of Florida: 'She found my bait'
A group of fishers said it took roughly 20 minutes to reel in this 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off the coast of Florida.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
Canadian convicted of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
Israeli military finds bodies of 3 Gaza hostages killed at music festival
Israeli military says its troops in Gaza found the bodies of three Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack, including German-Israeli Shani Louk.