Rideau Transit Group submits new return-to-service plan for Ottawa's shutdown LRT line
Rideau Transit Group has submitted a new plan to resume service on the O-Train line, nearly four weeks after the light rail transit line was shutdown following a derailment.
However, it will be Monday before the city of Ottawa releases details of the plan and whether it accepts the timeline to resume service on the Confederation Line.
In a memo to council early Friday evening, City Manager Steve Kanellakos said RTG provided the city with a return-to-service delivery plan late in the afternoon.
"This document is quite detailed and staff will be reviewing the contents and conducting a preliminary assessment over the weekend," said Kanellakos. "I will share details of the plan and RTG’s proposed timeline on Monday."
Sources tell CTV News Ottawa the RTM return to service plan has a specific date, but staff must review the entire plan to assess if it’s possible. Officials expect that when the trains resume, it will be a gradual return to service.
The Confederation Line has been out of service since Sept. 19, when an LRT car derailed at Tremblay Station, damaging the car, the track, the station platform and track infrastructure.
On Wednesday, council was told Rideau Transit Group has identified a loose gearbox as the issue that caused the derailment.
Kanellakos told council that Rideau Transit Group said, "The bolts that secure the gearbox to the (light rail vehicle) were not torqued properly or verified, according to Alstom."
The gearbox came loose and was dragged along the track, said Kanellakos.
The Transportation Safety Board said on Oct. 7 that the LRT car derailed near the middle of the north platform at Tremblay Station on Sept. 19, but no issues were observed as the train entered the station or departed.
"After some passengers departed the train, the doors closed and the train began to accelerate slowly then sped up to about 35 km/h. There was no reported unusual train handling nor were any track anomalies observed in advance of the train," said the TSB.
"After crossing the rail bridge that traverses Riverside Drive, a train-initiated emergency brake application reportedly occurred and the train came to a stop west of the bridge."
The LRT car struck a signal mast and switch heater that were adjacent to the track.
Earlier this month, Rideau Transit Group submitted a plan and schedule to repair the system and resume service. A motion for the finance and economic development committee said the plan and schedule was "unsatisfactory", but provided no other details.
The return to service plan has not been released to the public.
Philadelphia-based TRA arrived in Ottawa last week to review the return to service plan for the city and help resume service on the Confederation Line.
The Sept. 19 derailment was the second derailment involving the two-year-old light rail transit system in six weeks. A train derailed near Tunney's Pasture station on Aug. 8.
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Ted Raymond
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.