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Lightning damage may be causing partial Ottawa LRT shutdown

OC Transpo has sent in its replacement buses west of St-Laurent station on its light rail line. Its general manager says lightning damage may be to blame and doesn't have a reopening time.

LRT replaced by R1 buses west of St-Laurent station for foreseeable future

CBC News ·
A worker in a bucket truck works on a power system above a public transit train.
A worker in a bucket truck above an O-Train September 2021. Problems closing part of Ottawa's Confederation Line Monday may have been caused by lightning hitting this power system. (Christian Milette/Radio-Canada)

OC Transpo has closed most of Ottawa's light rail line because of what it's calling a technical issue. Its general manager says lightning may have damaged the overhead power system.

The transit service announced early Monday morning R1 buses will be running instead of trains between St-Laurent and Tunney's Pasture stations.

Transit general manager Renée Amilcar said in an email that technicians are working on the problem and she would send an update about when full service could come back. 

Over the weekend the transit service also pulled several trains from service because of wheel problems. Track and wheel problems came up during the public inquiry into the nearly three-year-old rail line earlier this summer.

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