Return-to-service testing begins on Ottawa's LRT five weeks after derailment
Trains resumed running along the Confederation Line today for the first time in 39 days, but it's still unclear when passengers will be able to board the train.
Just after 3 p.m., CTV News Ottawa's Jeremie Charron spotted an LRT car moving slowly along the track in the area where the train derailed on Sept. 19. The train was running slowly back and forth over the area, slowly increasing speeds during each trip.
In a memo to council, Transit Services general manager Renée Amilcar said testing would begin on Wednesday along the Confederation Line as part of the return-to-service plan, leading up to the resumption of partial service during the first two weeks of November.
"Progress continues to be made towards restoring partial Line 1 service," said Amilcar Wednesday afternoon.
"Under the oversight and ongoing monitoring of the independent rail safety expert, Transportation Research Associates (TRA), RTG technicians have been deployed to the site to perform critical activities including train inspections and tasks related to relaunching service on the system."
Mayor Jim Watson says he is cautiously optimistic train service will resume in the first two weeks of November.
"Today is a good day. One of the doubles is out testing the track, I believe, from point-to-point all throughout the Confederation Line," said Watson after Wednesday's council meeting.
"We'll see how that goes and then they'll obviously continue to put more trains out on a testing basis. We want to see the service resume as quickly as possible but it has to be first-and-foremost safe because we do not risk any member of the public or employees if something does go wrong on the train."
In its return-to-service plan presented last week, Rideau Transit Group said partial service would resume with up to seven trains on Nov. 1. City Manager Steve Kanellakos said that the city anticipated partial service will resume within the first two weeks of November.
The Confederation Line has been out of service since Sept. 19, when an LRT car derailed at Tremblay Station and continued west along the track before stopping near Riverside Drive. The derailed train damaged the car, the track and the LRT infrastructure.
In a memo to council on Tuesday afternoon, Kanellakos said RTG provided a target date of Nov. 29 for full service to resume, which includes 15 trains during the morning rush period and 13 cars in the afternoon.
"The November 29 date provided by RTG is a target and is subject to validation of the vehicle inspection program by TRA and the City. Accordingly, staff anticipates a return to full service is achievable by mid-December," Kanellakos said. "The City has made clear to RTG that the O-Train Confederation Line 1 will only return to service once TRA completes their assessment, and the City accepts their recommendations."
On Wednesday, Amilcar said prior to the resumption of service, the entire system will undergo a "robust testing regime", focusing on three areas:
- Track and infrastructure
- Train testing
- Full system-wide tests
The testing period will continue throughout the following weeks leading up to the resumption of partial service.
"Throughout this testing period, customers will see trains running at different speeds, on different sections of the track, and stopped for long periods of time," said Amilcar.
"Trains will sometimes run the entire track from end-to-end and at other times may only run for short distances on the line. Trains will also often cross over between the two tracks on the line. At times, many technicians will also be on the line as they perform inspections of all components of the track and rail infrastructure."
Amilcar says the testing will be critical to allow TRA, RTG and the city to confirm that all the repairs on the trains, track and infrastructure meet "the quality standards" required for a safe return to service.
The return-to-service plan sees O-Train service resuming with seven trains running, and additional trains added incrementally as they pass inspection until the full compliment of vehicles is available.
Philadelphia-based TRA has been hired by the city to review the return-to-service plan. The consulting firm will present details of the return-to-service plan to council and the media before LRT service resumes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.