Alstom resuming work to redesign troublesome LRT bearing

OC Transpo says trainmaker Alstom is getting back to work on a new wheel bearing assembly system that's been hailed as a permanent solution to the ongoing problems that led to a derailment last summer, but the redesign will take years.

Officials from both OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Group (RTG) agreed on the necessity of the new assembly system during the shutdown of the Confederation Line in August 2023.

Then friction between RTG and its subcontractor Alstom threatened to derail the fix. 

OC Transpo surprised councillors in late May with news that the work was on hold, but Alstom was not invited to the meeting where the issue was discussed.

RTG had said Alstom's decision to halt work was based on the trainmaker's internal investigations on the cause of ongoing system problems, but a source without permission to speak on the matter later told CBC it had only paused to get RTG's feedback on the pre-design phase. 

• Alstom halts work on redesign hailed by city as 'final fix' to LRT woes
• With LRT builders still at odds, city can't do anything but wait on permanent fix

On Thursday, OC Transpo told members of the transit commission that RTG has now directed Alstom to resume that work. 

"This is fantastic," said OC Transpo chief Renée Amilcar, who also told commissioners that RTG has committed to provide a consolidated report on the issue this December.

'Firm' lobbying behind scenes, says Amilcar

When asked what led to the breakthrough, Amilcar told councillors it was thanks to substantial work by the city behind the scenes. 

"The city has been firm in saying ... the mitigation measures in place could not be the sustainable solution," she said. "We were firm on that." 

Richard Holder, the city's director of rail construction, also confirmed that efforts to address the problem are continuing. That includes pinning nuts within the current cartridges, testing vibration monitoring equipment, adjusting restraining rails and lubricating the rails to reduce friction.  

After the meeting, Holder confirmed to CBC that there will be "years" of design and testing before a modified cartridge is ready to be installed in Ottawa's vehicles.