OC Transpo working on replacement bus backlogs until full LRT resumes
CBC News | Posted: January 10, 2023 9:00 AM | Last Updated: January 10, 2023
If all goes well, full light rail service should return Tuesday
OC Transpo is adjusting its replacement bus service Tuesday to address backlogs at busy stops as it waits for an end to the shutdown of light rail trains between uOttawa and Tremblay stations.
R1 replacement bus service expanded Monday, operating from Blair all the way to Rideau station. Those buses don't stop at Cyrville station and are scheduled to arrive more frequently during peak hours, but some commuters on the route on Monday complained of delays and crowded buses.
General manager of transit services Renée Amilcar told Radio-Canada that Hurdman station was particularly congested Monday and delays and overcrowding continued Tuesday despite extra R1 buses being sent there "whenever possible."
Confederation Line trains continue to run Tuesday on two loops: one between Blair and Tremblay stations in the east and another between Tunney's Pasture and uOttawa stations in the west.
Full light rail service is expected later Tuesday if a few hurdles are cleared. There will be a news conference at some point Tuesday, Amilcar said.
She said continued service in the east and west ends of the line demonstrates the system was prepared for the winter weather, but that experts are looking into why the middle of the network in particular is experiencing issues.
That stretch of track has been the site of numerous problems in the past, including derailments, broken wires and lightning strikes.
"I have experts right now, as we speak, analyzing the data to see what happened, why the middle of the network reacted this way," Amilcar said in French.
System running well since March, mayor says
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, speaking to CBC Monday for the first time since the stoppage, said he shares the frustration of commuters.
"I think the public deserves a better service that is working more reliably," he said.
Sutcliffe stressed that the LRT has been "very reliable" since March 2022, adding there have been few service disruptions in the past nine months.
WATCH: One commuter describes his R1 experience
Sutcliffe said it is not yet known whether the present issue is a chronic one that suggests deeper issues with the system, or whether it's an isolated, weather-related event. He said city hall and the transit commission will be tasked with addressing the issues of the past week.
"It's very unfortunate that we've had this event in the last few days, and we have to get to the bottom of it and make sure it doesn't happen again," he said.
Trains stuck since Wednesday
Several trains ended up stuck on the line near Lees station after a severe bout of freezing rain hit the city five days ago, closing the line between uOttawa and Tremblay stations.
After the freezing rain hit Wednesday night, the trains became immobilized and ice built up on the line.
Several previous attempts by RTM to repair the damage and tow away the stuck trains from Lees station caused further damage to the line's overhead power system.
RTM's crews "worked around the clock to manually remove the ice" from one stretch of the track near Lees and would then focus on the second affected stretch, CEO Mario Guerra said Sunday night.
OC Transpo has brought in independent experts STV to join existing oversight firm TRA Inc. and monitor RTM's work, as well as provide advice on when trains could run from uOttawa to Tremblay again.