Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[Kitchissippi]

If the train pictured in the mayor's October tweet wasn't operational, why was the pantograph up and how did it get out onto the yard?

[lrt's friend]

A challenge to everybody here to take and post the first photos of an LRV running on the track between Tremblay and Blair. It will be soon.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by roger1818

I guess that's possible. Not how I initially interpreted the article, but I don't always trust journalists to get all of their facts straight and present them in a clear manner.

I think the term "assembly" causes confusion. Assembly usually means "the place where the thing is made" whereas here it seems to mean "fitting out" (if it were a ship)

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

If the train pictured in the mayor's October tweet wasn't operational, why was the pantograph up and how did it get out onto the yard?

It may have been "operational" but just by looking at it you can see that it isn't "fully assembled" (it is obviously missing the exterior panels and may be missing other parts) The words were "fully assembled and operational." The word "and" means both conditions need to be true for the statement to be true (simple Boolean algebra).

Originally Posted by acottawa

I think the term "assembly" causes confusion. Assembly usually means "the place where the thing is made" whereas here it seems to mean "fitting out" (if it were a ship)

Agreed that that the term assembly can cause confusion. There are many stages to assembly. I suspect in this case they are referring to "final assembly."

[Catenary]

From what I understand, the factory in Hornell is making the body shells and doing all welding. Everything else is done in Ottawa, including wiring, fitting out and so on. The picture that was released a few months ago of the "first" train was likely the first train in Ottawa that was operational.

The exception is LRV-1, which was fully assembled in Hornell as a prototype, allowing staff to be trained and problems to be resolved. It's likely been done or nearly done for a while now, even if we didn't see it, it was definitely done first by the experienced staff in Hornell to make sure everything would work.

"Assembly" is a term often used in manufacturing to denote the location of final manufacture, like a car factory. Unlike the old days, next to no individual parts are made at a car factory, but parts from lots of suppliers and other factories are assembled there to produce a car. Ottawa is the assembly location for all of our trains except the first one, which was assembled in Hornell.

[Kitchissippi]

Lyon Station concourse is shaping up. I guess this is where the multimedia experience will be set up in a few months.

[rocketphish]

Construction Update
Week of November 21

Construction of the LRT stations continues to ramp up; at Bayview Station, final grade beams are installed this week to allow for work on the foundation walls to begin. In Lyon Station, architectural works are ongoing and include forming mechanical room walls and installing dowels in the stairs. At Blair Station, the easternmost station of the alignment, masonry is underway on the bus operators’ building.

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West Stations

Tunney’s Pasture Station: Crews continue drilling caissons in preparation for the next phase of station construction.

Bayview Station: Initial station construction is ongoing and includes underground electrical and mechanical work, final grade beam installations, and ground improvement during the daytime and overnight.

Pimisi Station: Station construction continues to advance with crews forming and pouring the lower concourse walls, installing duct banks, and mechanical and electrical work.

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Lyon Station cavern: Crews continue architectural work in the station, including installing rebar and formwork for the elevator mechanical room, and dowels for the stairs and sub platform. Final shotcrete activities occur in the west transition.

Lyon Station west entrance: Crews install rebar, pour concrete at the mid-landing and for the ground floor slabs, construct walls and pillars and continue electrical work for the entrance. At the east vent shaft, rock removals are being completed and waterproofing activities begin by the end of the week.

Lyon Station east entrance: Crews continue forming, pouring, curing and stripping sections of concrete for the ground floor beams, walls and slabs, in addition to electrical work. Hoe ramming and rocks removals are ongoing at the east vent shaft for the next weeks.

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Parliament Station cavern: Activities progress in the station with crews pouring the last sections of L-walls, first sections of footings and the invert pre-slab. Waterproofing of the station arch and tunnel arch is ongoing in anticipation of upcoming concrete pours.

Parliament Station west entrance: Work on the roof of the station’s head house wraps up this week; crews prepare for the next phase of activities including glazing. At the east vent shaft, final rock bolt installation takes place to allow for a breakthrough connection to the underground station.
Parliament Station east entrance: With blasting being completed, crews finalize soft ground excavation outside at the entrance, followed by saw cutting at the concourse level by end of the week. Crews also mobilize to begin the next phase of roofing activities and glazing.

Traffic restrictions on Queen and O’Connor streets remain in effect. Queen Street is now open to two-way traffic between Lyon Street and Elgin Street.
Rideau Station cavern: The station continues to take shape; activities include constructing walls and slabs, installing rebar, pouring concrete and waterproofing the arch in sections.

Rideau Station west entrance: This week, activities at the entrance include removals of the Rideau Centre’s foundation panels to allow for the next phase of integrated entrance construction to occur. The next phase of umbrella installation is ongoing and includes the installation of a crane. Crews continue shoring at the HVAC shaft; a sidewalk realignment will be ongoing during this work.

Rideau Station east entrance: The station and elevator walls continue to take shape with crews forming, installing rebar and pouring concrete this week. The tunnel vent shaft walls also begin to be formed to allow for concrete pours to occur. Crews mobilize to begin shoring at the west vent shaft.

Rideau Street is closed 24/7 to vehicular traffic to permit works to advance, including jet grouting activities.

uOttawa Station: Work advances at the station; crews install rebar, form and pour concrete for the platform suspended slab and continue mechanical and electrical rough-ins.

East Portal: Crews continue activities at the ramp, including drilling tiebacks and waterproofing for upcoming concrete pours.

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East Stations

Lees Station: Crews begin micro-piling to allow for the next phase of station construction, in addition to working on the watermain protection and installing rebar for the elevator pit.

Hurdman Station: Station construction progresses as crews begin installing structural steel at the station and working on the roof of the ancillary building. Concrete work for the station walls and stairs also occurs and finishing work is ongoing at the bus operators’ building.

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Tremblay Station: Crews complete framing and start waterproofing the roof this week. Other station construction activities include masonry and underground mechanical and electrical work.

St-Laurent Station: The station continues to take shape; work includes the installation of platform steel, ongoing work on the plenum and final installation of the ceiling hangers.

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Cyrville Station: This week, station construction includes glazing, framing, interior construction of the auxiliary building as well as ongoing mechanical and electrical work.

Blair Station: Construction continues to advance at the station and includes exterior wall and soffit panels installations, mechanical and electrical work and framing. Crews install masonry at the bus operators’ building.

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Tunnel Excavation and Support

Crews install the umbrella, part of reinforcements, in the last section of running tunnel west of Rideau Station.

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Guideway

Tunney’s Pasture Station to West Portal: Construction of the guideway is ongoing and includes pouring the fixation track slab east of Tunney’s Pasture Station moving east, working on the overlay, installing Overhead Catenary System foundations and building the retaining wall. Crews are also installing fencing and continuing initial landscaping activities west of Bayview Station.

Mann Avenue Bridge to west of Tremblay Station: Crews install Overhead Catenary System foundations just east of Mann Avenue Bridge, work on the drainage system on the elevated guideway, continue electrical work along this section of guideway and pull rail in sections from the Rideau River Bridge to Lees Station. Tamping activities also begin this week just west of Tremblay Station.

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Other Activities

Mann Avenue Bridge: Bridge reconstruction continues through spring 2017. This week, activities include construction of the parapet walls and ongoing concrete deck pours.

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Upcoming Construction Activities

In the coming weeks, the following construction activities are scheduled to occur:

• Ongoing removal of the overhead scaffolding at Bayview Bridge requiring intermittent sidewalk closures.
• Lyon Station HVAC and west vent shaft work resumes.
• Structural steel installation at uOttawa Station.
• Installation of traction power sub stations on the guideway west of Lees Station and just east of Hurdman Station.
• Fencing installation on guideway just west of Tremblay Station.
• Vehicle testing and Overhead Catenary System will be energized in phases along the guideway between Belfast Yard and Blair Station.
• Installation of porcelain panels at Blair stations.

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Construction of a support system (umbrella)

Did you know that a support structure called an umbrella (or horizontal piling) will be put in place during the construction of Rideau Station west entrance construction?

The umbrella will reinforce and support excavation and construction of the integrated entrance. The umbrella will be built from horizontal piling/reinforced steel pipes. Horizontal piling consists of drilling holes, inserting steel pipes and then grouting the pipes in place with concrete. This is done to support the entrance opening.

Check out this cool video that provides a glimpse of crews installing an umbrella.

http://www.ligneconfederationline.ca/construction/construction-update-100/

[Richard Eade]

The correct picture for the Parliament Station (as opposed to a duplicate of the Lyon Station picture) is available in the french version of the update:

[rocketphish]

LRT track testing begins soon

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: November 27, 2016 | Last Updated: November 27, 2016 4:09 PM EST



Light-rail trains will begin rolling this week along a short stretch of test track in the city’s east end, a senior LRT official confirmed Friday.

Steve Cripps says “dynamic testing” of Alstom Citadis Spirit trains at low speeds along the main Confederation line between Blair and Cyrville stations is “anticipated to begin” sometime this week.

The Citizen reported as much last month but it’s good to know the plan remains in place.

According to Cripps, the director of rail implementation, the Overhead Catenary System (OCS) – the wires that supply power to the LRT vehicles – has been installed and energized in phases at Belfast Yard and along the mainline between Blair and Cyrville.

“As soon as the OCS was energized at Belfast Yard, testing of the power systems occurred. In late September, trains began to be tested at low speeds around Belfast Yard. With the OCS testing completed on the test track, dynamic testing of the train along the mainline at low speeds is anticipated to begin sometime next week and will be done in incremental phases,” he said Friday in a written response to questions I submitted through the media relations department.

I also asked about tunnelling below Rideau Street.

As you’ll recall, only about 50 metres of tunnelling remained when a massive sinkhole opened up on Rideau Street on June 8, throwing a wrench into the plans.

Work has resumed, but progress is slow. Crews are tunnelling from east to west, starting in the Rideau station cavern and working toward Sussex Drive. They’d progressed about 20 metres, Cripps said last month.

In his latest statement, Cripps says “approximately 20 metres of tunnelling is left to be excavated.”

So, 10 metres of progress in a little more than a month.

Were it not for the sinkhole, the entire 2.5-kilometre tunnel would be done already.

It is now expected to be done by the end of the year, but at a rate of 10 metres a month, it remains to be seen if that is possible.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/city-hall-blog-lrt-track-testing-begins-soon

[rocketphish]

Rideau Street to re-open next month following massive sinkhole nearly a year ago
Above ground work for LRT to continue into next summer

By: Ryan Tumilty, Metro
Published on Mon Nov 28 2016

Rideau Street will re-open to buses and taxis by Dec. 16, but the fallout from the massive sinkhole earlier this year will keep construction above ground going on right into next summer.

At a construction update Tuesday, the city said the Rideau Transit Group would be able to re-open the street to allow for buses and taxis to get through.

Steve Cripps, the director of LRT implementation, said the complete closure has helped the Rideau Transit Group catch up with the work they needed to do.

“The real key for Rideau Street was the 24-7 closure that has really allowed them to progress,” he said.

Cripps said there remains about 20 metres of tunneling to complete underground.

While they expect the tunneling to be complete by mid-December or January, the original plan to have all the work on Rideau done before next summer and before thousands come to Ottawa for 2017 celebrations likely won't happen.

He said some of the work to create vent shafts and other structures on the surface will still be going on next summer.

“The sinkhole has changed a lot of things and that is one we will have to look at,” he said.

The city is still waiting for a report on the cause of that sinkhole.

Coun. Keith Egli said having the street re-open is a major step forward.

“I think it’s going to be great, the merchants along Rideau the people who work there have been very patient with the city,” he said. “I think re-opening it is going to be a breath of fresh air for them.”

The city also updated its plans for snow removal this winter, with no major changes to its approach to last winter.

Luc Gagné, the city’s manager of road services, said the parking bans will still be put in place when called for and they expect to have enough equipment to clear streets efficiently.

Several forecasters have predicted a winter with more snow and colder temperatures, but he said the city is prepared.

“What they are saying is we are going to be getting a classic Canadian winter,” he said. “It’s not something we haven’t seen before with the resources we have.”

http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2016...e-open-to-some-traffic-in-december-.html

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Several forecasters have predicted a winter with more snow and colder temperatures

Compared to last year's non-winter, isn't that basically a given?

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Compared to last year's non-winter, isn't that basically a given?

I know people who swear up and down that last winter was bad. People are turning into such wusses.

[mykl]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

[B]Rideau Street to re-open next month following massive sinkhole nearly a year ago

what a sensational headline ... it sounds like the street has been closed for a year. in reality, the sinkhole wasn't even quite 6 months ago (Dec 8 will mark 6 months) and the street was open from July until October 18.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

I know people who swear up and down that last winter was bad. People are turning into such wusses.

Lol, really? IIRC, December 2015 and January 2016 were the warmest December & warmest January ever recorded...

[hwy418]

Saw the "non-fitted-up" train on the tracks just east of Cyrville Station this morning. Unfortunately I couldn't stop to take a picture. Heard the line from Cyrville to Blair is energized and available for testing.

Here is a shot I found on twitter of the train being moved to that location last night:
https://twitter.com/dacrumster/status/803751739157573632

Engine, engine number 9 on the New York O-Train transit line... sorry couldn't help myself.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by hwy418

Engine, engine number 9 on the New York O-Train transit line... sorry couldn't help myself.

Lets hope it doesn't fall off the tracks.

[ortelius]

on twitter #ontrack2018:

[PHrenetic]

Good Day.....
They'd better be ready to put snowblades on the fronts of those things !!!
Trillium Line DMU's have 'em ! and need 'em !
just a suggestion.
EnJoy!

[Uhuniau]

Boy, that train looks short.

[Mr.Flintstone]

Here a video

• Video Link