CBC brings back the countdown clock for the LRT shutdow
If the past is any guide, it could be a week, a few weeks, or even more than a month before the Confederation Line reopens after yet another problem with the bearings.
In August 2021, a similar bearing problem caused a train to derail and shut down for nearly a week.
Every train had to be checked for five days. On nine different vehicles, 17 loose parts were found, not including the broken cartridge part that caused the train to derail.
Then, in September 2021, it was found that some bolts hadn’t been tightened enough when the line was being fixed after the August derailment. The line was shut down for a month and 23 days.
Nov. 12 saw the return of some services.
CBC is bringing back its countdown clock for when the LRT will close. Here, you can keep track of how long it will take to close.
The union head says it could be weeks
Clint Crabtree, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279, which represents OC Transpo workers, said that it could take weeks for the system to be ready to run again because each axle on every train is still being checked.
Patrick Dumond, an engineering professor at the University of Ottawa who specializes in the monitoring and diagnosis of bearing faults, said a long-term solution that ensures reliability could take much longer.
“I think it depends … if we decide on a Band-Aid solution or if we decide on a proper engineered solution that actually solves the problem,” he said.
“The latter will take much longer but will provide a much longer-term fix.”
Briefing on root cause expected in Septembe
The city doesn’t yet know the root cause of the bearing issues, two years after they first came to light.
A briefing on what’s causing the bearings to fail prematurely was expected in September this year, according to Coun. Jeff Leiper, a member of the city’s transit commission. His understanding is that the briefing is still on track for that month, he told CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning on Tuesday.
In the meantime, it appears preventative measures aren’t working.
“They thought that they would be able to run the train safely with increased inspections, and more frequent maintenance, and the slow orders that take the train much slower through portions of the track,” Leiper said.
“Clearly, and frustratingly, it looks like they may have to take yet further mitigations in order to be able to run the train, ahead of fixing the root cause of whatever that problem is that’s causing those bearings to fail prematurely.”
Residents ‘wildly frustrated,’ ‘jumping ship
Leiper said people in the city are “wildly frustrated” that the problem hasn’t been fixed, and that the root problem hasn’t been identified.
“I talk to people virtually every day who are giving up on transit,” he said.
“Once it’s working, I have no doubt that we’ll get people back. But it’s kind of pointless to talk about bringing people back to the system when these kinds of problems keep recurring. I don’t blame people for jumping ship.”
Coun. Wilson Lo, another member of the transit commission, told Ottawa Morning that the shutdown is frustrating for residents, but he’s glad the city is undertaking it in the interest of rider safety.
“I would much rather be dealing with their wrath because we shut down something out of precaution, than the aftermath of a serious incident,” he said.
LISTEN: The full interview with Jeff Leiper and Wilson Lo