No quick end to speed restrictions on Ottawa's LRT system, report says

The report for the transit commission summarizes work done by the city, RTG and Alstom since the first of several mishaps and derailments blamed on problems with the trains’ wheels, axles and bogeys.

Published Oct 07, 2023 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 3 minute read

One of the curves on the Confederation Line is this one near Hurdman Station. Photo by Jean Levac /POSTMEDIA

Speed limits at curves on the Confederation Line won’t end anytime soon.

The restrictions will stay in place until the troublesome axle and wheel assemblies on the LRT’s Alstom Citadis trains are redesigned and replaced, and approval of that redesign isn’t expected until late 2024, according to a report to be presented to the City of Ottawa’s transit commission this coming week.

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“RTG (Rideau Transit Group) has committed to the city that Alstom has commenced a redesign of the axle bearing assembly and expects that an approved design will be in place by the end of 2024,” the report says. “The axle bearing assembly redesign will focus on strengthening the assembly to better withstand the lateral forces experienced on the Confederation Line and ultimately deliver an axle bearing assembly that meets expectations from a safety, service and maintenance perspective.”

The report, which is for commissioners’ information only, contains little new information, but summarizes work done by the city, RTG and Alstom since the first of several mishaps and derailments blamed on problems with the trains’ wheels, axles and bogeys. Most have been reported before or were described in a special technical briefing to council by Transit General Manager Renée Amilcar in August.

On Aug. 8, 2021, a train with no passengers on board derailed just outside Tunney’s Pasture Station because of an axle problem. Alstom began inspecting the cars after every 7,500 kilometres of operation.

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On July 21, 2022 a driver noticed an unusual vibration and stopped his train. The problem was found to be caused by a “severely degraded axle hub.” As a result, axle inspections were increased to every 3,750 kilometres and the leading and trailing bogey axles, which would receive the most wear and tear, were to be completely replaced every 175,000 kilometres.

On July 17, 2023, an inspection found leaking grease and a failed bearing on one train. The LRT was shut down for three weeks and a new protocol was put in place to replace leading and trailing bogeys every 60,000 kilometres.

(The most serious derailment, near Tremblay Station in September 2021, wasn’t directly caused by an axle failure, but was blamed on poor maintenance work during an inspection.)

Signage for the Confederation Line LRT in downtown Ottawa. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

The report also lists all the work that has been done as an interim fix for the wheel-axle problems, including adjusting guide rails that are a safety feature at curves, greasing the tracks to reduce friction and installing electronic monitors that RTG hopes will tell it exactly what kind of vibration is causing the trouble. It’s hoped the monitor will detect and record the forces at work immediately before a failure, but so far that hasn’t been successful, the report says.

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The speed restrictions at curves have been in place since May 2022. In places, such as the bend in the tunnel just east of Rideau Station, trains must slow to just 25 km/h.

With a new design not expected until the end of 2024, it will likely be 2025 before all of OC Transpo’s LRT trains can be refitted.

“While the timelines to design and implement the new axle bearing system are long, solid plans are in place to monitor and manage the current axle configuration until the solution can be implemented,” the report concludes. “This work should result in Ottawa being one major step closer to having the reliable and dependable rail system that it deserves.”

This photo shows the structure under one of Alstom’s Citadis Spirit light rail vehicles. The components include the axle and bearing hub. Photo by City of Ottawa /Handout