Train shortage causes LRT delays, crowding

For the second day in a row, OC Transpo doesn't have enoughworking trainsto adequately service its four-month-old Confederation Line.

It said Tuesday at 1:15 p.m.it would have10 working trains through the afternoon rush, meaning trains will run approximately every five or six minutes instead of every three minutes during that peak period.

At times this morning, as few aseight were running.

OC Transpo is running "special buses" alongside its trainsto help alleviate expected crowds and delays on the LRTline caused by the train shortage.

From 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., OC Transpo will run special buses from Albert Street, just west of O'Connor Street near Parliament station, to both Hurdman and Tunney's Pasture stations to get out of the core.

Commuters face LRT crowds amid train shortage

5 years ago

Duration 0:41

It was a crowded morning on the LRT with only nine trains running during peak hours. OC Transpo is running buses along the line during both the morning and evening rush hours to try to alleviate some of the pressure.

Those buses ran from Hurdmanand Tunney's Pasture stations to downtown from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Buses from Hurdmandropped passengers off at stops on Albert Street, similar to how express buses worked before Oct. 6, 2019 (but without stopping at stations along the way).

Buses leaving from Tunney's Pasture letpeople off onSlater Street.

10 trains yesterday; 13 normally

On Monday afternoon, only 10 trains were working downfrom the13 at rush hour and 11 during off-peak times required to meet rider demand.

"It's just frustrating," said Coun. Riley Brockingtonon Monday. The River councillor is also a member of Ottawa's transit commission.

"Most reasonable people can understand and acceptsome issues now and then with the public transit system as a whole, but not with the frequency that we've seen for such a brand new service."

• Switch glitch, jammed doors and smoke: A weekend to forget for Ottawa's LRT
• Ottawa LRT running with only 10 trains

Costs to run the special replacement buses Tuesday will be charged to the LRT's builders Rideau Transit Group, said Manconi.

They're now responsible for maintenance on the LRT under the name Rideau Transit Maintenance.

The drop in the number of trains Monday and Tuesday was caused by a handful of problems with trains.

On Thursday a wire above a train broke and damaged the train as it entered St. Laurent station, one train is out of service with a compressor issue and a few other trains are experiencing wheel flats,said OC Transpo operations director Troy Charter Monday afternoon.

Wheel flats mean part of the wheel is dragging on the track instead of turning.

That issue is"a main contributor to the inability to have 13 trains at peak period right now," he said.

Special meeting Thursday

The city owns 17 double-carriage trains for the Confederation Line, buttwo trains have yet to be sufficiently tested and are not ready for service.

The other 15 are used in regular rotation or as backups, said Brockington.

As only eightwere working Tuesdayit stands to reason seven trains were undergoing or have undergone repairs at the same time. Again, the city has not confirmed this.

"Sometimes you have to take trains out of service for regular maintenance that's planned, but the number of issues that we've seenand the technical issues with these trainsis not something that we should expect," said Brockington.

The city councillor plans to raise both the St. Laurent station wire break and the lack of working trains at a special transit commission meeting on Thursday.

Both officials with Rideau Transit Maintenance and OC Transpo are attending Thursday's meeting.