OC Transpo conducting fare inspection blitzes, warns customers to expect O-Train closures in October

An LRT train on OC Transpo's O-Train Confederation Line departs Lees Station in Ottawa, on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

OC Transpo issued 200 fines in four days to people not paying the transit fare, as the transit service ramps up operations to make sure transit riders are paying the fare to board the bus and the O-Train this month.

The transit service is conducting a fare compliance blitz between September 3 and 30, with 12 fare inspectors "active across the transit network, enforcing fare regulations," OC Transpo says.

OC Transpo decided to launch the inspection blitz in September, as new riders use the system at the start of the school year and as federal workers return to the office a minimum of three days a week.

"The ultimate goal of this initiative is not to penalize, but to reduce the lost revenues and protect the integrity of our fare system," said Duane Duquette, head of security at OC Transpo.

Duquette told councillors that 200 fines were issued in the first four days of the blitz - 44 tickets issued on buses, 51 tickets on the O-Train and 104 tickets handed out to people in transit stations.

The fine for not paying the fare is $260.

An OC Transpo user paying for a transit fare. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

OC Transpo ridership

New statistics show OC Transpo hit the ridership target for July, the first month the transit service reached ridership forecasts in 2024.

A total of 4.4 million riders used OC Transpo in July, up from 3.9 million in July 2023.

A total of 38.7 million riders used OC Transpo buses and the O-Train in the first seven months of the year, below the 41.2-million target.

The Transit Commission was told the bus on-time performance for buses running every 15 minutes or more increased to 84 per cent in August from 82 per cent in July.  The on-time performance for buses running every 16 minutes or less was 76 per cent in August, up from 75 per cent in the three months before.

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O-Train shutdowns this fall

OC Transpo is warning customers to expect some disruptions on the Confederation Line this fall due to the integration with Stage 2 to Ottawa's east end and rail grinding and ballast work on the existing line.

"The upcoming work is required for both Stage 2 expansion works, as well as to implement the necessary corrective measures to ensure the reliability and long-term sustainability of the system as part of RTG's sustainable solution related to the axle bearing assembly," said Troy Charter, OC Transpo director of transit operations. 

"There's much work planned in October. While we're working to minimize those impacts, there will be multiple requirements for R1 replacement bus service including partial and full-line closures."

The O-Train will be shut down on Sunday, Sept. 29 and Saturday, Oct. 5 to allow for the deployment of train control software to link the Stage 2 east extension with the current Line 1.

Service interruptions will occur throughout October as part of efforts by OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Maintenance to implement a "sustainable solution" to the rail line. No specific dates were announced on Thursday.

The work includes rail grinding across the entire LRT line between Blair and Tunney's Pasture stations, and "major ballast work between Hurdman and Tremblay stations."

There will also be temporary closures to complete other work, including an inspection on the St. Laurent transit tunnel.  The station was closed in May after some damage to the ceiling tiles overhead of the LRT platform.

Axle bearing

Rideau Transit Maintenance has directed Alstom to resume working on a full redesign of the cartridge bearing assembly on the Confederation Line trains, once hailed as the "final fix" to issues with the axles.

"That helps the city significantly," Richard Holder, director of rail construction, told councillors.

Holder says Rideau Transit Maintenance it will deliver a status report and remedial assessment report on the Confederation Line this fall, including efforts to address issues with the cartridge bearing assemblies.

Alstom hit the brakes on redesigning the wheel hub assembly earlier this year, saying it believed a permanent fix can be achieved without a redesign to the wheel hub that caused issues on the O-Train line.

Issues with the cartridge bearing assembly have resulted in three partial or full shutdowns of the nearly five-year-old LRT system since 2021, including a shutdown last summer after an issue was discovered with one wheel hub. 

OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Maintenance have implemented several measures to address the issues, including inspecting the axles and temporary speed restrictions. The long-term mitigation plan includes installing a nut pin inside the axle hub assembly, top of rail lubrication on the LRT rails and adjustments to the restraining rail.

Eight-two percent of vehicles now have the nut pinning measure on its axles.   The pinned hub extends the lifespan of the hubs from 60,000 km to 400,000 km.