O-Train Line 2 [Stage 1 | Bayview to Greenboro] | In Service

[McC]

Originally Posted by GoTrans

OC Transpo does not appear to know how to run a railway.... I think the management all need to go to railway school, maybe with GO Transit or Montreal's AMT for awhile to see how it is done, not that they are perfect.

I've been reading about a railway school recently....
http://www.amazon.com/Tootle-Gertrude-Crampton/dp/0307020975#reader_0307020975

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by GoTrans

Unless the elk is on the tracks, this is no reason to shut down service.

I'm quite sure the Police ordered the O-Train shut down, not OC Transpo.

The elk was close to the tracks and estimated at 800lbs; I suspect that if it charged the train and there was a collision there would be potential for injury of people on the train.

[c_speed3108]

Originally Posted by Catenary

I agree. The man at the train platform yesterday (who was obviously a Capital Railways manager or something, well dressed but with a vest and hard hat, not a driver) said the service was cut due to "Police Activity". I immediately thought suicide/person under a train, but they usually shut down completely in those cases. My next best guess was a bomb threat or similar situation, like happened in the summer. In the end it was something (relatively) benign.

With no service to Carling or Bayview but two trains on the tracks, the trains were passing at Carleton, going just past the switch, stopping and turning back onto the other platform. I assume this was because both trains were already on the line and the situation was not expected to last long, and that only one train will simply use one platform for the weekend closures. I don't think they can turnaround at Carleton fast enough to use both platforms with only train in service.

I have had VIA use the same "Police activity" line one time when a train I was taking to Toronto got held at Fallowfield.

The police activity turned out to be the power being out at the crossing ahead. Further to that the outage was caused by a double decker bus hitting a hydro pole on Woodroffe, and the train I was on happened to be 51. :-S

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by GoTrans

Almost every service adjustment in the past year with repsect to the O Train has been poorly handled.

It's an OC Transpo problem, not a rail problem; they are equally idiotic when it comes to significant bus events (which happen at least once a week, on average.)

Several times I've been on stalled buses with frustrated and grumpy passengers around me. When I can find reliable information on my phone about the cause of the delay, and inform the people around me who are grumbling, they settle down. It's amazing how a little accurate and timely information can do that, but OC Transpo would rather have its customers fester.

It's utterly baffling, and totally crappy public and customer relations. Par for the course, in other words.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

I'm quite sure the Police ordered the O-Train shut down, not OC Transpo.

The elk was close to the tracks and estimated at 800lbs; I suspect that if it charged the train and there was a collision there would be potential for injury of people on the train.

Elk vs. train? People on the train wouldn't feel a thing.

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

I'm quite sure the Police ordered the O-Train shut down, not OC Transpo.

The elk was close to the tracks and estimated at 800lbs; I suspect that if it charged the train and there was a collision there would be potential for injury of people on the train.

I think Bayview Station was closed, and the police were working immediately next to the tracks. I can't imagine the train passing would have calmed down an agitated elk. I don't have a problem with them shutting down service for that reason.

I heard from a friend that one of the train drivers was leaning out the window of their train telling passengers on the opposite platform at Carleton that it was an elk. Clearly the drivers don't care about maintaining the corporate "Police Activity" line, likely because they rarely make announcements.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Catenary

I think Bayview Station was closed, and the police were working immediately next to the tracks. I can't imagine the train passing would have calmed down an agitated elk. I don't have a problem with them shutting down service for that reason.

I heard from a friend that one of the train drivers was leaning out the window of their train telling passengers on the opposite platform at Carleton that it was an elk. Clearly the drivers don't care about maintaining the corporate "Police Activity" line, likely because they rarely make announcements.

Good grief, why can't we be honest with the public? It is not as if an elk on or near the tracks is going to cause undo alarm or panic.

[waterloowarrior]

@alistairsteele 19s
https://twitter.com/alistairsteele/status/390944232686370816
#ottcity to test new Alstom diesel trains on O-Train line between 1 and 5 a.m. #cbcott

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

@alistairsteele 19s
https://twitter.com/alistairsteele/status/390944232686370816
#ottcity to test new Alstom diesel trains on O-Train line between 1 and 5 a.m. #cbcott

The unit parked closest to Bank st. was running and had moved away from the others Wednesday morning.

[Catenary]

One of the new trains was on track testing tonight, a friend saw it just north of Greenboro.

[waterloowarrior]

O-Train is back to full weekend service starting today

[rocketphish]

O-Train running again after signal problems

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Monday, January 20, 2014 04:41 PM EST | Updated: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 07:48 AM EST

Just when transit customers welcomed the return of regular O-Train service Monday night, they were cursed again.

The rail line from Carleton University to Greenboro station had to be shut down around 11 a.m. when OC Transpo came across signal problems.

The hitch stemmed from work the previous day during a planned closing of the full O-Train line.

As the temperatures dropped, afternoon commuters accustomed to riding the entire 8-km stretch between Bayview and South Keys in the comfort of a train had to board buses travelling a special route parallel to the O-Train line.

Around 8:30 p.m. Transpo announced the signal problem was solved and the O-Train was back to full service.

An hour later, the O-Train was back to being the Oh Train.

A door malfunction struck one of the trains and service was interrupted again.

“Transit services worked diligently to rectify the matter onsite, but the train had to be removed from service in order to fix the issue,” operations manager Troy Charter explained in an e-mail Tuesday.

“Route 107 O-Bus service replaced the O-Train and all customers were assisted off of the train and onto the O-Bus. Station announcements were made and on-street OC Transpo personnel informed and assisted customers with the transfer to the O-Bus.”

Service was back to normal for the Tuesday morning commute.

By this point, passengers might be accustomed to spotty O-Train schedules. The train was down all of last summer for upgrades and repairs ahead of the $59-million expansion and partially closed on weekends in the fall and early winter to allow Carleton University to build a new parking facility.

More scheduled closures are expected in the months ahead.

There is still no concrete date when the upgrades, which include six new trains, will take effect.

“Expanded O-Train service is expected to be implemented before the end of 2014, following Phase 2 of the O-Train expansion project,” light rail project manager Richard Holder said in an e-mail.

The second phase of work involves training, finishing the traffic control system and installing a noise barrier near Confederation Station.

“It is likely that there will be limited planned service interruptions throughout the remainder of the O-Train expansion project,” Holder said.

The public will get adequate notice, he said.

It might be a case of short-term pain for long-term gain.

When the upgrades are done, trains will pick up passengers every eight minutes instead of every 15 minutes.

Twitter: @JonathanWilling

http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/01/20/bad-signals-shuts-down-o-train

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

O-Train running again after signal problems

“Route 107 O-Bus service replaced the O-Train and all customers were assisted off of the train and onto the O-Bus. Station announcements were made and on-street OC Transpo personnel informed and assisted customers with the transfer to the O-Bus.”

This all seems great, but the customer service regarding the earlier train closure was —. I have no issue that the train tends to fail spectacularly due to it's reliance on what must be an ancient interlocking at the VIA tracks, but there needs to be a better plan for dealing with unintended closures. The platform announcements seem to only be used for upcoming closures, but are completely inaudible most of the time, leading to confusion. The signs that indicate if the train is running or not have to be updated manually, and whoever set up the closure on Sunday simply taped over them. Whenever the train does break, it is always a question if 107 has actually started or if it will at all, since it can't be tracked using apps or 560 reliably.

At a minimum I would like to see the route 107 map permanently installed at the stations, and the bus stops permanently identified. This should be more than the 107 flag as well, since that doesn't mean anything to most people. I think digital sings would be a logical next step as well. They provide clear information to every passenger, unlike platform announcements which may be irregular, and could be used to display next train times (I assume the schedule will become more complex with the increased frequency).

[rocketphish]

O-Train back in service after snow dump mishap

By Blair Crawford, OTTAWA CITIZEN January 24, 2014

OTTAWA — O-Train service was disrupted for nearly four hours Friday night after a private contractor dumped a load of snow near Prince of Wales Drive that blocked the entrance to the Dow’s Lake tunnel.

With the tunnel blocked, O-Train service between Bayview and Carleton stations was halted just after 6 p.m. O-Train passengers were rerouted onto the No. 107 bus until tracks were cleared.

Full O-Train service resumed at around 10 p.m.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/...ow+dump+blocks+tunnel/9428106/story.html

[S-Man]

Hats off to that private contractor!

Tune in next week when he dumps a load of gravel on the Queensway (or as he saw it, a big open stretch of pavement ripe for dumping).

[eemy]

Not quite as bad as this contractors mistake. At least snow melts and can be shovelled.

[Capital Shaun]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

Not quite as bad as this contractors mistake. At least snow melts and can be shovelled.

Not only is it concrete, it's the quick set variety! That must have been fun to clean up.

[Dado]

If they were smart and realized the mistake quick enough, the "solution" would be to pump in still more water to dilute the cement mixture and prevent it from properly setting.

[Buggys]

Too bad that room was full of water sensitive electronics equipment.

[lrt's friend]

Am I reading correctly that the upgrade in service to the O-Train is being delayed until the end of the year?