Wet snow linked to weekend O-Train power problems

By Jason White

A written update from the City of Ottawa's General Manager of Transportation Services says recent power failures affecting O-Trains on the Confederation Line are due to electrical problems with the trains' overhead equipment, likely caused by wet or snowy weather.

R1 replacement bus service was deployed on Saturday afternoon, between Parliament and St. Laurent stations, when electrical problems led to the suspension of train service during a heavy, wet snowfall. O-Trains continued to operate Saturday afternoon, between Tunney's Pasture and Parliament as well as between St. Laurent and Blair.

A memo from transportation GM John Manconi on Monday explains that the loss of power to the motors is due to electrical problems with the equipment on the roof of the train.

“The vehicles appear to be more prone to these failures during wet or inclement weather,” he wrote.

The root cause of the issue is still under investigation by Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM), the private consortium that operates the line, but the city says the power losses are part of the train's safety systems operating as designed.

The trains affected by the weekend power problems will be inspected at the Confederation Line's maintenance yard before returning to service, but some vehicles require repairs, which is why there is a shortage of trains this week, according to the city.

“We recognise the impact this has had on our customers and are working with RTM to resolve this problem and restore normal levels of service as quickly as possible,” Manconi wrote.

Supplemental bus service from Tunney's Pasture, Hurdman and Blair stations during peak periods will remain in place until at least the end of the week to compensate for the reduced number of trains in service.

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