Ottawa

Separate problems cause long delays on Confederation Line

A switch problem at the Confederation Line's east end and a door issue at Lees station slowed train service during Friday morning rush hour, causing long waits for increasingly frustrated commuters.

Switch issue affecting Blair, Cyrville; door issue at Lees fixed at 7:30 a.m.

A Confederation Line station sign outside Parliament station at dawn in Ottawa Oct. 7, 2019. (CBC)

A switch problem at the Confederation Line's east end and a door issue at Lees station slowed train service during Friday morning rush hour, causing long waits for increasingly frustrated commuters.

The issues were fixed at about 7:30 a.m. and delays were expected to ease, said OC Transpo.

Trains were not stopping at Cyrville station's eastbound platform toward Blair, nor Blair's Platform 1, as of 5:30 a.m.

Then at about 6:20 a.m., word of more delays because of an issue with a train's door at Lees station.

It caused delays of 20 minutes, said OC Transpo, at a time when trains are scheduled to run every three to five minutes.

200-series buses went to Rideau station instead of stopping at Tunney's Pasture to switch to trains and some routes that normally end at Blair were being extended to St-Laurent to get around the switch issue.

This is the 12th issue on the Confederation Line that has caused delays for a span of at least half an hour since the transition period ended Oct. 6.