Packed trains on Line 1 stretch into fourth week of lesser service

O-Trains are running despite fewer than normal train vehicles, which is causing some packed trains on Ottawa’s Line 1.

Issues discovered by OC Transpo in late January are stretching into a month, impacting commuters during the busiest times on the transportation network. In a memo to council, Troy Charter, interim general manager of transit services, wrote that the agency knows it is not delivering what customers expect.

“Large volumes of customers are still being observed on trains; however, there has been a decrease in the amount of crowding at stations,” he said.

Every three to four minutes, the line is moving during the peak periods, and OC Transpo staff are at key stations. As of Feb. 13, one additional train vehicle has been fixed, bringing the total to 21, still below the 26 vehicles needed to maintain service during peak hours. A majority of Line 1’s fleet, 59 vehicles, is being fixed.

“This work is complex and discussions continue,” Charter said. “Further technical information is still required from (Rideau Transit Group) to validate and verify the containment measures and risk analysis.”

Rideau Transit Group identified a new problem with the cartridge bearing assemblies on Jan. 21.

Part of the ongoing investigation, the organization found that spalling was detected on several of the mechanisms on the train vehicles. This is when flakes break off the metal inside the axle, creating pits that grow over time.

“If not addressed, this can lead to cracks and can result in bearing failure,” a previous memo notes.

Bus network sees improvements

After a difficult few weeks of major snowstorms, OC Transpo is reporting that buses between Feb. 1 and 7 ran closer to the target.

According to data shared by the agency, the service was running at 96.6 per cent, 2.9 per cent lower than target. More than average trips were cancelled the first week of the month, representing 4 per cent of the 45,052 scheduled trips.

The main reasons for cancelled trips were a lack of bus drivers or issues like traffic, accidents or customer incidents.