Partial LRT service resumes, OC Transpo expects to run full system by Monday, Aug. 14

Partial resumption of Ottawa’s troubled LRT system has been restored as OC Transpo plans to have the full LRT system up and running by Aug. 14.

Partial service resumed between Tunney’s Pasture and University of Ottawa (uOttawa) stations on Tuesday, Aug. 8. at 5 a.m.

“Rideau Transit Group (RTG) has been working since Thursday, Aug. 3 to reposition restraining rails across the alignment,” said OC Transpo general manager Renee Amilcar. “The required work between Tunney’s Pasture and uOttawa stations is complete, and OC Transpo has conducted trial running in this section to confirm that all train systems are safe and ready for service.”

Amilcar added that adjusting the restraining rails to prevent any contact between the train wheel and the rail is a requirement of the safety note from RTG and Alstom, which must be completed for service to fully resume.

With service partially resuming on the Tuesday after the long weekend, it means:

• Line 1 service will operate between Tunney’s Pasture and uOttawa stations
• Five single-car trains will provide service every five minutes
• R1, R1 Express and Para R1 services will continue to operate with no changes
• An additional train can be launched during peak periods to accommodate high customer volumes
• Customers may notice slower train speeds in the tunnel due to a speed restriction as part of safety requirements during the gradual resumption of service
• Staff will be at stations supporting customers during their trips

“I am not proud of this situation which brings a negative spotlight in our beautiful city,” said Amilcar, in a question and answer session with Ottawa city councillors on Wednesday, Aug. 9. “Despite that, we should be confident that we put safety first, as safety is paramount at OC Transpo.”

OC Transpo’s general manager said work on the remaining restraining rails continues and to date, 12 of 16 locations have been repositioned.

RTG also continues the required replacement of the wheel hub assemblies on the train fleet, and replacements are now complete on 25 trains,” said Amilcar in a memo before the question and answer session with councillors. “The ongoing replacements increase the number of cars available to go into service.”

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, during a media briefing on Monday, Aug . 7 said “this is only one step in a long journey.”

“The critically important work to permanently fix the system continues,” he added. “But we are moving in the right direction. I’m grateful for the patience of Ottawa residents and OC Transpo passengers. And I want to reassure you again that I and the team at City Hall and at OC Transpo will not rest until Ottawa residents have the system we deserve.”

Amilcar told The Sam Laprade Show, Alstom is working on a permanent fix, redesigning the axel and strengthening the bearing. In the meantime, they will continue running partial LRT service and Amilcar reassured listeners – riders’ safety remains their priority.

While Amilcar said the date of completion is not confirmed at this point, what is certain is they’ll need a minimum of 12 months for a redesign, followed by a prototype, further adjustments and time to deploy the new design to the entire fleet.

“By operating with single-car trains, OC Transpo can accommodate current customer volumes and manage the fleet availability over the long term.”

City Councillor for Riverside South-Findlay Creek and Chair of the LRT Subcommittee Steve Desroches told Wake Up With Rob Snow on Aug. 8, wheel hub assemblies would normally have a longer lifespan, but for safety reasons, they’ve decided to replace all assemblies to ensure the system is more reliable.

“We need a longer-term fix to these wheel assemblies and that work is underway to strengthen wheel assemblies so it can withstand forces at play when vehicles are going around those curves,” said Desroches.

The entire O-Train line has been closed due to a mechanical problem discovered during a routine inspection.

All O-Train service was suspended, and all stations closed around 5 p.m. on Monday, July 17 due to a technical issue.

On July 31, the City of Ottawa’s transit services launched a new R1 Express route as the LRT system enters its third week of being shut down to transit users.

OC Transpo started a new R1 Para bus service in addition to the newly launched R1 Express route and regular Para Transpo service.