LRT idled for fifth day, still no word when trains will resume

Published Jul 21, 2023 • 2 minute read

OC Transpo replacement bus at the Cyrville station in Ottawa Thursday. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

R1 buses are running for a fifth day Friday and there is still no word from OC Transpo when trains will roll again on the Confederation Line.

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Twelve replacement buses were on the road at 5 a.m. Friday, with that number increasing to 36 during peak periods, transit general manager Renée Amilcar said in a Friday morning memo to the mayor and members of council.

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The city has been without its pricey Confederation Line LRT since Monday evening when the trains were abruptly pulled from service after a maintenance inspection revealed the axle assembly of one car had excess movement and seemed to be leaking grease. Inspections were stepped up last year after a Transportation Safety Board order following a derailment caused by a failed axle assembly.

In what OC Transpo calls “enhanced service,” westbound R1 buses will use Slater Street through the downtown core with stops at Bank and O’Connor streets, while eastbound buses will use Albert Street with stops at Bank and Kent streets.

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A special R1 shuttle will run between Lees Station and Rideau Station.

“Westbound R1 service will run from Blair to Tunney’s Pasture, stopping at each station, except for Lees
A shuttle will run between Lees, uOttawa and Rideau stations,” Amilcar’s memo explained.

“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.”

New signs have been put up to help travellers understand the setup. All Confederation Line stations remain closed, with OC Transpo staff on site to help direct riders.

Meanwhile, police continue to investigate the death of a pedestrian stuck by one of the R1 shuttle buses Thursday on St. Laurent Boulevard at Tremblay Road and are asking any witnesses or any driver with dashcam video who has not spoken to investigators to contact Ottawa Police Service Fatal Collision Investigation Unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 2345.

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As of Thursday evening, the axle hub assemblies of 15 of OC Transpo’s 45 light rail vehicles had been inspected and none had shown any faults. While workers continue inspections of the remaining vehicles for “wear and tear,” a test train outfitted with sensitive instruments has been running on the track under various configurations to look for anomalies, OC Transpo says.