Transit riders must wait until at least Monday for O-Train return-to-service plan
The O-Train will remain out of service through the weekend and on Monday as the investigation continues into the axle bearing issue discovered on one LRT vehicle during a routine inspection.
OC Transpo general manager Renee Amilcar says it will be Monday before a "more comprehensive update" on the return-to-service plan is available from Rideau Transit Group and OC Transpo.
The light-rail transit system was closed during the Monday afternoon rush hour after an issue was discovered during a routine 50,000 km inspection. Amilcar ordered the immediate shutdown of LRT service for inspections on all vehicles and the track.
The axle hub assemblies have been checked on 24 LRT vehicles since Monday, and no issues have been discovered, Amilcar said in a memo to council on Friday afternoon. Rideau Transit Group and OC Transpo have also conducted several runs in "different train and track configurations to simulate real world conditions" on the O-Train line and fitted a train with Smart Bugs to complete runs and captured "additional data" for the investigation.
Amilcar says the remaining 21 vehicles will be checked for "wear and tear" to the axle hub assembly and "test train and track infrastructure work" will continue.
However, as of Friday afternoon there is no date for the return to service for the LRT system.
"RTG is discussing return to service scenarios with the City," Amilcar said.
"Key data analysis is being conducted to provide additional information for the return to service plan, with a view to providing a more comprehensive update on Monday, which will also outline next steps."
Amilcar says work will continue "around the clock" on all key areas of the investigation into the axle bearing issue.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe will not speculate on a return to service for the O-Train.
"We're talking every single day about what we're learning from the work that's being done by OC Transpo, engineers and the contractors and as soon as we have any sense of when we might be able to restore service we will share that with the public," Sutcliffe said told CTV News Ottawa on Thursday from New York City.
Amilcar has said all trains must be fully inspected before the O-Train returns to service.
"Our number one priority right now is identifying what the problem is, making sure that we can put trains back on the tracks in a safe fashion for our passengers and until we can do that we're going to continue to investigate the issue," Sutcliffe said.
The closure of the LRT system has diverted tens of thousands of commuters onto R1 replacement bus service, which has forced the cancellation of over 100 bus trips a day on regular routes.
Sutcliffe says he doesn't think OC Transpo overreacted by shutting down the O-Train after the issue on one LRT vehicle was discovered.
"I think we have to act with an abundance of caution; the last thing we want is another derailment or a catastrophic event of that nature," Sutcliffe said.
"I think it is really important that we think of the safety our of passengers; that's one of the recommendations that came out of the inquiry last year. So we need to proceed with an abundance of caution and make sure that before the trains are back in service they are completely safe for our passengers."
Sutcliffe says he shares transit riders' frustration with the continuing issues with the LRT system.
"We should be frustrated; we didn't get the service we paid for and we're going to continue to work hard and hold our contractors accountable and make sure that we have the service we paid for," Sutcliffe said.
"One day, we will have a safe, reliable transit service for the people of Ottawa and this will all be behind this. I can't tell you when that day may be; we're doing everything we can to make that date as soon as possible. One day it will come that we will have a safe, reliable transit service for our passengers and for our city and we have the service we paid for, but until that day I won't rest in holding our contractors accountable and making sure we're finding solutions to these problems."
Axel being sent to France
Amilcar says "out of tolerance axle hub assembly" discovered during inspection will be assessed by Alstom in France.
Alstom is also sending additional resources for the wheel hub assembly are being deployed to assist RTG and OC Transpo.
R1 service on Albert and Slater streets
As thousands of LRT riders are diverted onto buses, OC Transpo is making changes to the R1 bus routes.
"Our Transit Operations Control Centre is working on finalizing additional R1 route enhancements to ensure we deliver the best possible service to our customers," Amilcar said in a memo on Thursday.
As of Thursday, 36 buses are operating the R1 service during peak periods, up from 20 buses on Monday.
Here is a look at the changes to the bus routes
Starting today, R1 replacement bus service will be travelling along Albert and Slater streets instead of Queen Street.
OC Transpo says for customers, the change means:
- Westbound R1 buses will run on Albert Street with stops at Bank and Kent
- Eastbound R1 buses will run on Slater Street with stops at Kent and O’Connor
Amilcar says staff will be at stations to assist customers.
Lees Station
OC Transpo has also made changes to the R1 bus serving Lees Station.
Starting Thursday, OC Transpo introduced a shuttle bus between Lees and Rideau stations.
"This will improve reliability and reduce travel times for customers," Amilcar said.
For customers, this means:
- Westbound R1 service will run from Blair to Tunney’s Pasture stations, stopping at each station except for Lees Station
- A shuttle will run between Lees, uOttawa and Rideau stations
- Customers travelling to Lees Station from the east can connect with the shuttle and Eastbound R1 service at uOttawa Station
- Eastbound R1 service will continue to serve Lees Station
Sutcliffe in New York
Mayor Sutcliffe spoke with CTV News Ottawa from New York City, where he attended the Bloomberg School for Mayors. The four-day conference started on Sunday.
Sutcliffe said he was invited to the conference, "before we knew there was going to be a problem with the light-rail service in Ottawa."
"I'm in constant and regular and frequent contact with city staff, with city councillors, with the staff in my office – I'm working very hard every single day and there's nothing that I can't do from here that I could do from Ottawa," Sutcliffe said.
"I wish I was there… but I'm working just as hard as I would be if I was in Ottawa and there's absolutely nothing that I can't do from here."
The Bloomberg Harvard City leadership Initiative provides "mayors and senior city leaders with executive education and management training to advance their leadership, strengthen their city halls, and deliver results for communities," according to the website.
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Natalie van Rooy
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.