Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[lrt's friend]

Some were saying that we were down to 7 trains this morning. Officials say 8 or 9.

What is eerie about all of this were the comments of apprehension about winter operations that were dismissed. Remember some were suggesting that we should wait until spring before opening the line. That apprehension was obviously well founded. Of course, hindsight is 20 20.

I believe the fact that we were never able to get the 15 promised trains operational during the test period in ideal summer weather conditions was a sign of things to come. We made it too easy to pass the test. The test did not actually simulate day-to-day operations on an ongoing basis. It did not prove reliability given the resets.

What has been delivered is an unreliable system that reared its ugly head as the system became more stressed and as we descended into winter conditions. And our winter has been unusually benign so far. What will happen if the 'big one' hits. There is still plenty of time from now until early April.

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/oc-transpo-rep...rs-hours-after-morning-commute-1.4790217

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Some were saying that we were down to 7 trains this morning. Officials say 8 or 9.

What is eerie about all of this were the comments of apprehension about winter operations that were dismissed. Remember some were suggesting that we should wait until spring before opening the line. That apprehension was obviously well founded. Of course, hindsight is 20 20.

I believe the fact that we were never able to get the 15 promised trains operational during the test period in ideal summer weather conditions was a sign of things to come. We made it too easy to pass the test. The test did not actually simulate day-to-day operations on an ongoing basis. It did not prove reliability given the resets.

What has been delivered is an unreliable system that reared its ugly head as the system became more stressed and as we descended into winter conditions. And our winter has been unusually benign so far. What will happen if the 'big one' hits. There is still plenty of time from now until early April.

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/oc-transpo-rep...rs-hours-after-morning-commute-1.4790217

Considering the possibility that most of this could all just be because of poor maintenance (which isn't weather dependent), I think it's too soon to outright say this.

Nonetheless, the narrative is set.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

Considering the possibility that most of this could all just be because of poor maintenance (which isn't weather dependent), I think it's too soon to outright say this.

Nonetheless, the narrative is set.

Poor maintenance is equally condemning of the situation, isn't it? We are paying big money and we expect proper maintenance. I guess the outside consultants will shed some light on this, or maybe not. I do hope we see better transparency.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

Considering the possibility that most of this could all just be because of poor maintenance (which isn't weather dependent), I think it's too soon to outright say this.

Nonetheless, the narrative is set.

The line hasn't been open for 6 months. How can a line go that bad that quick?

[Andrew_G]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

The line hasn't been open for 6 months. How can a line go that bad that quick?

Line open =/= line in use. Some of the trains have been in use for much longer, you can't forget about the testing period. Same goes for the catenary. That doesn't absolve them of these issues, however it is important to keep in mind.

[TransitZilla]

Carol Anne Meehan posted a video of a mini interview with James Boyle from JBA.

https://twitter.com/meehancarolanne/status/1222979021551677442?s=12

The main issues are apparently line contactors, line inductor failures and brake issues. All fixable issues. He expects them to be able to gradually get back up to 13 trains next week.

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Poor maintenance is equally condemning of the situation, isn't it? We are paying big money and we expect proper maintenance. I guess the outside consultants will shed some light on this, or maybe not. I do hope we see better transparency.

Poor maintenance is significantly easier to fix than a fundamental design flaw with the system.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Andrew_G

Line open =/= line in use. Some of the trains have been in use for much longer, you can't forget about the testing period. Same goes for the catenary. That doesn't absolve them of these issues, however it is important to keep in mind.

Were they running trains on the outdoor sections last winter?

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Were they running trains on the outdoor sections last winter?

Yes.

[sseguin]

We now have a Train Tracker (still a work in progress) to follow daily train movements and deployments. 

You can see it here : https://www.otrainfans.ca/tracker/tracker-list

We encourage and thank you if you submit your train sightings and rides by visitiing : https://www.otrainfans.ca/tracker/tracker-submit



Some items we want to follow is the pairing of coupled trains. What are they currently, and how / if they change over time, in addition to the new Stage 2 trains being tested. 

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by acottawa

What is a light metro-small heavy rail system? Heavy rail but narrower?

Lower capacity (roughly under 30,000) than a full heavy rail subway (38,000+). Light-metro often has shorter trains/platforms and full automation. Compare the Vancouver Skytrain (light-metro) to the Toronto subway (classic heavy rail subway).

[rocketphish]

Riding the rails: 'I’m just exhausted' - LRT commute has overnight worker thinking about ditching transit altogether

Taylor Blewett, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: February 1, 2020

This week, this newspaper decided to spend several days during rush hour along the Confederation Line, talking to passengers and riding the rails. The following pieces profile just a few of the countless transit users with stories to tell about commuting on the Confederation Line. If you have one of your own that you’d like to share, please get in touch at [email protected].



When Rob Maybee wakes up for his commute to work, he’s usually managed to catch about five hours of shut-eye.

The overnight shift worker rises around 2:30 p.m. to catch a Route 40 bus from Elmvale Acres to St. Laurent Station at 4 p.m. Once at St. Laurent, he takes a light-rail train to the Confederation Line’s eastern terminus at Blair Station. He and hundreds of others hop off the train and hustle down to the street-level bus platform in the hopes of claiming a spot on one of the eastbound buses that are often packed to the brim, forcing would-be passengers to wait for the next bus on their route to show up — if it does at all.

While most commuters at Blair are finishing their workday and heading home, Maybee is gearing up for a 10 to 12-hour shift as a supervisor at a Trim Road manufacturing facility. Once he manages to board a bus for the final leg of his commute, he’ll hopefully make it to work at least a half hour before his 6:30 p.m. start so he has time to prepare his staffing plan for the shift. When he finishes his workday at 5 a.m., it’s time for another 90-plus minutes in transit — if he’s lucky — to get home, sleep, and do it all over again.

“I’m out of the house upwards almost 15, 16 hours a day,” said Maybee, 43. “You run on five hours sleep — by the end of the week, I’m just exhausted. My weekend’s pretty much shot, trying to catch up.”

It wasn’t always like this. Before the September opening of the Confederation Line, Maybee said his commute took two buses and 45 minutes, even on the busiest day. The post-LRT bus service change cancelled one of the bus routes he used to be able to take, and reduced service on another, in addition to the extra transfer and leg of train travel for which he now has to account.

“It’s a huge difference,” said Maybee. And he feels it. With a job where he’s overseeing multiple people and spends most of the night on his feet, five hours of sleep isn’t really cutting it.

“I’m sure one of these days it will come to — I miss something major, or I may not even wake up for work just because I’m so tired.”

In addition to his sleep schedule, his new commuting routine is affecting his wallet. Once or twice a month, whether due to bus cancellations or LRT service outages, he has to ditch transit and call an Uber to get to work on time.

“I’ve got staff that are waiting for me,” he said. “I can’t call them like an hour before to say, ‘I’m not coming because of the trains.’ I have to go to work, I have to 🞵🞵🞵🞵 it up and pay the 20 bucks for an Uber.”

Now spending about $50 a month on ride-hailing services on top of his transit pass, Maybee said he’s compelled to consider an option he can’t really afford – buying a vehicle.

Born and raised in Ottawa, he’s mostly relied on transit since he was a teenager. But, in recent months, the prospect of ditching OC Transpo has grown increasingly tempting.

“I’m getting tired of dealing with this,” Maybee said. “It’d be a lot easier to just get a bit more sleep and be able to get to work every day.”

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...inking-about-ditching-transit-altogether

[rocketphish]

Rideau LRT station smells like 'rotten eggs'
By the afternoon, the sulphurous odour was detectable inside the Rideau Station doors, but it dissipated as passengers moved down four escalators to the station platform.

Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: January 31, 2020

First a sewage smell in LRT stations. And now — rotten eggs?

Passengers reported a new twist on an old and unsavoury story Friday, saying Rideau station had a smell of rotten eggs.

Since the Confederation Line opened, there has been frequent trouble with a strong sewage smell, mostly at Parliament station. The rotten eggs may be something new.

Sarah Wright-Gilbert, a citizen transit commissioner, was one of the first to report a “nasty” smell very early Friday.

Rideau station smells nasty 🤢— Sarah Wright-Gilbert (@sarahmeaghang) January 31, 2020

Rotten egg smells often involve a gas called hydrogen sulphide, which can come from rotting organic matter, and some riders identified a sulphur smell Friday, though at a different station:

There is a smell of sulfur in Parliament Station of the #OttLRT. Politicians making deals with the devil, perhaps?— Hayden Trenholm (@HaydenTrenholm) January 31, 2020

OC Transpo put out this statement: “Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) is aware and is currently investigating the cause. Staff will monitor the situation and work closely with RTM to resolve this issue.”

By the afternoon, the smell was barely noticeable. The sulphurous odour was detectable inside the Rideau Station doors, but it dissipated as passengers moved down four escalators to the station platform.

The station is the deepest in the city, reaching reaching 26.5 metres below Rideau Street.

[email protected]
twitter.com/TomSpears1

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/rideau-lrt-station-smells-like-rotten-eggs

[rocketphish]

Riding the rails: LRT transit is nauseating – literally – for passenger with motion sickness

Taylor Blewett, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: February 1, 2020

This week, this newspaper decided to spend several days during rush hour along the Confederation Line, talking to passengers and riding the rails. The following pieces profile just a few of the countless transit users with stories to tell about commuting on the Confederation Line. If you have one of your own that you’d like to share, please get in touch at [email protected].



Jen Campbell thought she was dealing with a kidney stone when she visited the emergency room last October. Turns out, the pain under her ribs was a pulled muscle – which she believes is the consequence of stretching to hold onto the overhead grab bar on a Confederation Line train.

After the light-rail system launched, many people complained about the height of the bars, a particular challenge for shorter riders. In response, OC Transpo installed dangling stability straps on the trains.

“It was just muscular, but it was really awful,” said Campbell, 40, who takes the train to her military job downtown about three times a week. “I’m very happy to see that they have the loops now.”

While that particular injury is behind her, Campbell’s commuting journey remains physically taxing at times. She’s struggled with motion sickness all her life, and certain transit conditions can make the symptoms – headache, nausea – worse.

The launch of light rail has been a blessing and a curse. While the train is a smoother ride than the bus, Campbell still has to take Route 256 from her home in Bridlewood to Tunney’s Pasture Station, where she gets on the train.

After the launch of the Confederation Line in September, Campbell has noticed a higher number of lower-capacity buses – short buses rather than articulated or double-decker – and more cancellations on her route, which means more people crowding on a smaller vehicle, and a rougher ride for someone with motion sickness.

This was Campbell’s experience on a recent Tuesday morning trip to work. This newspaper caught up with her at Tunney’s Pasture while she sat on a bench, getting some air before the next leg of her commute.

“I was not looking forward to this,” she laughed. “My biggest worry about moving to Ottawa was transit.”

Campbell, her husband and two children arrived in Ottawa 18 months ago, the latest in a series of moves common to many military families. This is the first place they’ve lived that features public transit as their most sensible commuting option.

Both she and her husband work downtown, where parking is expensive. They both decided to invest in OC Transpo passes.

“It’s not awful, you get used to it pretty quickly,” said Campbell. “But the hiccups in the last few months are making me very happy to move to Carling and not have to deal with transit, which is sad.”

In the near future, both Campbell and her husband will start working at the Department of National Defence’s new west-end campus, where she said driving is a more convenient option compared to bus service.

After dealing with reliability and crowding headaches, motion sickness and a kidney-stone false alarm, Campbell is, with some regret, ready to say goodbye to her bus pass.

“Transit is a good thing, we should be carpooling, we should be taking transit. But when it’s not useful for people … ”

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...rally-for-passenger-with-motion-sickness

[TransitZilla]

I’m genuinely curious where that gentleman is headed on Trim Rd that it takes 90 minutes from Elmvale.

I called up a travel plan from Elmvale to Trim Park and Ride leaving 4pm on Monday; the planner said this would be a 35 minute trip. That was using the 39 Millennium too, so it would bring him to anywhere on Trim between the 174 and Innes.

[Harley613]

Motion sickness from the LRT?! Is there a smoother method of transportation in existence than electric light rail? Well I guess we could have built a magnetic levitation train...

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Motion sickness from the LRT?! Is there a smoother method of transportation in existence than electric light rail? Well I guess we could have built a magnetic levitation train...

Motion sickness on trains is not uncommon. It has more to do with the movement itself than with the smoothness of the ride, no?

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Motion sickness from the LRT?! Is there a smoother method of transportation in existence than electric light rail? Well I guess we could have built a magnetic levitation train...

It's probably because LRT or rail transit is new to Ottawa. I can guarantee you that motion sickness is worse in the Montréal Metro than in the Ottawa's LRT. People will get use to it.

[AuxTown]

The LRT has had its problems (and hopefully they can be remedied) but this recent run of news articles really irks me. So many non-stories that are just there to continue the negative narrative about our system. I've renamed the articles:

"Guy who works in the middle of nowhere at inconvenient times is mad that the transit system doesn't accommodate him specifically"

"Lady with motion sickness unsurprisingly nauseated on moving public transit vehicle."

"Brief noxious smell on the O-Train. Potentially fatal system design flaw or did someone pass gas? I guess we'll never know...."

[Harley613]

I find the Confederation line to be one of the smoothest lines I have ridden anywhere in the world with the exception of the curves between Hurdmand an St. Laurent.

Anyhow, complaining about motion sickness on the new system implies that there is a superior alternative for people who suffer it, at least in my opinion.