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
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.
DEVELOPING Israel says Hamas deal is 'far' from meeting its demands as Rafah offensive looms
Israel said the terms of a ceasefire deal Hamas accepted on Monday remained 'far from' meeting its demands and warned its military operations in Rafah would continue, even as it sent negotiators to talk to mediators.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.