Slow progress on some systems delaying other elements of Trillium Line LRT prep: report
A report prepared for a joint meeting of Ottawa's Transit Commission and Light Rail Subcommittee suggests that slow progress on completing work on the signalling, train control, and communications systems on the Trillium Line is having a domino effect on other aspects of preparation.
The joint meeting will be held Thursday, in place of the previously scheduled LRT subcommittee meeting that was supposed to be held Monday.
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
- Sign up now for our nightly CTV News Ottawa newsletter
The report outlining progress on Stage 2 LRT says that some slower than anticipated progress on parts of Line 2 is leading to other delays.
"Schedule deviations with signal and train control, and some communication systems (cameras, building management systems, etc.), are progressing at a slower pace than initially anticipated," the report states. "TransitNEXT continues to work on system installation and testing and commissioning. Progress on this item continues but remains slow."
TransitNEXT is the wholly owned subsidiary of SNC Lavalin that has been contracted to build the Stage 2 north-south Trillium Line extension, which will extend service to Riverside South and the Ottawa International Airport.
The slow progress on the signal, train control, and communications systems is affecting training, staff recruitment, and maintenance readiness, the report says.
"These areas are experiencing ongoing challenges due to the slower than anticipated commissioning progress for the signaling and train control system. Impacts on the training program are being assessed and the teams are working closely together to find ways to maximize training hours."
The report says delays to infrastructure readiness and subsequent training delays would create "a requirement for additional time to prepare for launch," but it doesn't lay out any specific length of time that might be required.
Transit Services General Manager Renée Amilcar said in September that the train control system on the Trillium Line is "unique" and required "a lot more testing."
There are also delays with getting Building Code Services occupancy permits and Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) approvals for elevators because of wider system functionality and station readiness delays, the report says.
Line 2 is expected to open sometime in the spring of 2024. Construction was originally scheduled to be completed in August 2022, but was delayed until September 2023 with a projected launch in November. Amilcar said in September that a November launch was no longer possible, suggesting April 2024 as a possible window, though she refused to speculate on a firm launch date.
The report says work is still required on the Bowesville and Leitrim park-and-ride facilities and the Limebank Station bus platform. Construction of all 13 stations on the Trillium Line remains ongoing, with commissioning of electrical, mechanical, fire safety systems, and communication systems remaining.
In mid-November, Amilcar announced what she called a "key milestone", saying nine trains had been successfully tested on Line 2. That testing will continue over the winter months, the report for Thursday's joint meeting says.
"Critically, the plan going forward is to increase the number of operating hours of the trains in order to properly demonstrate sustainable reliability of the fleet and the systems. This period of additional running time, including through the winter, is critical to surfacing and correcting issues before the line opens for service."
City councillors on the two committees will meet at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
In addition to a progress update on Stage 2 of LRT and the current state of the active bus and train fleet, heads of the unions that represent OC Transpo employees will address councillors and deliver a presentation on their members' issues. The unions include the Amalgamated Transit Union, locals 279 and 1760, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 5500, and the Civic Institute of Professional Personnel.
In 2022, Ottawa city council agreed to give the unions a once yearly platform at Transit Commission meetings, and to host two informal sessions between the Transit Commission, OC Transpo Management, and Union executives during the 2022-26 Term of Council. The first such session is expected to take place in 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot multiple times in attempted assassination
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.