Repairs on track for O-Train service to resume sometime on Friday, OC Transpo says

Rideau Transit Maintenance is on track to resume service on the full O-Train line sometime on Friday, according to OC Transpo.

The light rail transit system has been shut down between Rideau and St. Laurent stations since Sunday night after a lightning strike on a section of the overhead catenary system. The overhead wires were damaged between uOttawa and Lees stations.

Rideau Transit Group/Rideau Transit Maintenance began repairing the overhead wires and repairing a section of the track on Tuesday.

"We're pleased with the progress that's been made to the repairs; they're progressing really well and I think we're still on track for service resumption sometime (Friday)," Director of Transit and Rail Operations Troy Charter told Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron.

Charter says once the repairs are completed, tests will need to be conducted to ensure the line is safe before rail service resumes.

"Once they finish the repairs, we do have to go through a series of tests and verification activity to make sure it's going to function as intended and it's safe. I don't believe it will be first thing in the morning, we're targeting sometime in the afternoon or in the evening," Charter said.

O-Train service continues to run between Tunney's Pasture and Rideau Stations and Blair and St. Laurent Stations, with R1 bus service running between St. Laurent and Rideau Stations.

OC Transpo says O-Train service between Rideau and St. Laurent stations will run after 10:30 p.m. until service ends on Thursday night, as workers will be cleared off the tracks near uOttawa station.

In an update Thursday evening, OC Transpo said workers will resume repairs on the LRT infrastructure Friday morning and Line 1 service will run in both the west and east ends of the system.

"We are prepared to restore full rail service once it is safe to do so."

Charter says OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Group continues to investigate why a lightning strike impacted the system.

"We know that certain aspects of the system functioned exactly as intended. Our power substations, they have surge protectors and resistors and they were fine. The breakers tripped just as a home would when it's going to surge," Charter said.

"Our signals and our communication systems, once again, those things functioned well as expected because of the surge protectors that are in place. But we really need to understand why that catenary wire damaged to the extent it did."