'Loose' overhead part paralyzes one LRT train, two others break down
Taylor Blewett, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: February 26, 2020
Mere hours after the first snowflakes of a major winter storm started to fall, commuters had to evacuate trains on the Confederation Line when a component of its overhead power system malfunctioned and service ground to a halt.
According to emailed information from city transportation general manager John Manconi, a part of the light rail catenary system became “loose” east of St. Laurent Station.
It was not immediately clear if the issue was weather related. But Wednesday afternoon marked the beginning of what’s been forecast as the worst storm of the winter season thus far, an event OC Transpo was already anticipating could pose a challenge to light-rail operations.
Earlier in the day, Manconi sent a memo outlining OC Transpo’s plans for the storm: Communication and staffing would be enhanced, Rideau Transit Maintenance would keep up with snow clearing, and supplementary bus service would run alongside the Confederation Line during the afternoon peak.
“In the event that we need to implement R1 service, for example, due to a stopped train on the line, S1 service would be cancelled and those buses would be redeployed to provide R1 service.”
That’s exactly what happened after the catenary system malfunctioned sometime around 4 p.m.
Initially, one train was held up near St. Laurent and passengers evacuated onto waiting buses. Then, another train stopped east of Tremblay Station, again requiring passengers to disembark. Paramedics were called to the scene after one passenger requested medical assistance “not related to the incident,” according to Manconi.
R1 bus service launched between Hurdman and Blair, while trains continued to run between Tunney’s Pasture and Hurdman. Transit riders took to social media to share photos and personal accounts of passenger bottlenecks at LRT stations and significant disruptions to their afternoon commute.
Crews were dispatched to investigate the problem with the catenary, an arrangement of poles and overhead wires that delivers power from substations to the trains.
According to Manconi, Rideau Transit Maintenance confirmed it had the parts needed to repair the problem, and when repaired “satisfactorily,” light rail service would resume across the whole Confederation Line. As of 8:30 p.m., that hadn’t happened.
Shortly before 8 p.m., OC Transpo shared news of a stopped train at uOttawa station. All service was shifted to the station’s eastbound platforms.
“I have to say that I am embarrassed for the failure of the Ottawa LRT system that should never have been launched without a full winter condition assessment,” tweeted Somerset Ward Coun. Catherine McKenney. Citizen transit commissioner Sarah Wright-Gilbert tweeted her belief that “RTM is not up to the job and we need to find a company that is.”
Quote:
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Sea of commuters heading to R1 service as the #OttawaLRT breaks down again. Sigh. @ctvottawa @CBCOttawa pic.twitter.com/WuKfkQVaBE— Cindy Orti (@cinorti) February 26, 2020
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Interview requests Wednesday evening with City of Ottawa transit officials, RTM, and transit commission chair Allan Hubley went unfilled. No one was made available.
This isn’t the first time a problem with the catenary system has caused commuter chaos. In mid-January, an overhead wire broke, stalling a train at St. Laurent Station and cutting off light-rail service east of Hurdman Station.
At the time, Transpo’s director of customer services and planning Pat Scrimgeour said the transit system carries between 18,000 and 20,000 customers to east-end destinations in the afternoon.
With files from Jon Willing
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...ice-east-of-st-laurent-station-suspended
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