Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service

[rocketphish]

No clear timeline for provincial takeover of Ottawa’s LRT

By Katelyn Wilson, CTV News
Published: January 28, 2026 at 5:43PM EST

Ottawa’s transit system is facing a $47-million deficit, renewing pressure on the province to follow through on its promise to take over the city’s light rail transit system.

During the Ontario provincial election campaign last year, Premier Doug Ford pledged to upload Ottawa’s LRT system to Metrolinx, shifting responsibility for the system from the city to the province.

But nearly a year later, there is still no clear timeline for when that takeover will happen.

Negotiations between the city and the province began in the fall, after Ottawa City Council directed the city to enter talks with the province.

At City Hall on Wednesday, Sutcliffe acknowledged the talks are complicated, adding it would save the city $85 million dollars a year.

“This is a gamechanger for the residents of Ottawa and for public transit in our city,” Sutcliffe said. “We’ve had multiple conversations with [the province] recently about moving this forward. I can’t give a timeline at this point, but there’s a willingness on both sides to make progress on this in the near future.”

Premier Doug Ford was also in Ottawa on Wednesday but did not provide details on why little progress has been made.

“We’re continuing to work with [Mayor Sutcliffe] and we’re going to continue to talk to him,” said Ford. “We’ve made some huge investments for the people of Ottawa and we’re going to continue to invest in the people of Ottawa. I think the last deal is about $700 million dollars, uploading a highway and giving him quite a few other things that they need, and we’ll be there to support them on the LRT as well.”

The city needs this deal to address the multi-million-dollar gap in its transit budget.

The mayor says he hopes to meet with provincial officials soon to move negotiations forward.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/articl...f-ottawas-lrt/

[dougvdh]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

No clear timeline for provincial takeover of Ottawa’s LRT

By Katelyn Wilson, CTV News
Published: January 28, 2026 at 5:43PM EST

Ottawa’s transit system is facing a $47-million deficit, renewing pressure on the province to follow through on its promise to take over the city’s light rail transit system.
. . . snip . . .

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/articl...f-ottawas-lrt/

Three questions that need to be asked:
- Will this improve service for Ottawa transit users?
- Will the Province rake back Provincial Gas Transfers to the City of Ottawa
- Will OCtranspo maintain full control of service levels and fares if the LRT is uploaded to Metrolinx

If the reason for doing this is only about finances, then the negotiations should just be ended now.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by dougvdh

Three questions that need to be asked:
- Will this improve service for Ottawa transit users?
- Will the Province rake back Provincial Gas Transfers to the City of Ottawa
- Will OCtranspo maintain full control of service levels and fares if the LRT is uploaded to Metrolinx

If the reason for doing this is only about finances, then the negotiations should just be ended now.

I wouldn't trust Sutcliffe to negotiate a good deal for Ottawa.

[lrt's friend]

Just to make everybody feel a little better, REM has experienced 17 failures of 20 minutes or longer since Phase 2 opened, about once every 4 days.

[DarthVader_1961]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Just to make everybody feel a little better, REM has experienced 17 failures of 20 minutes or longer since Phase 2 opened, about once every 4 days.

Any indication as to cause?

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by DarthVader_1961

Any indication as to cause?

ice accumulation, signalling problems, equipment failures, stuck trains, technical problems. The same day to day problems we have seen.

[pattherat]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

ice accumulation, signalling problems, equipment failures, stuck trains, technical problems. The same day to day problems we have seen.

If Ottawa council had its shit together it would seek a class action with MTL against Alstom.

This is freaking ridiculous!

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by pattherat

If Ottawa council had its shit together it would seek a class action with MTL against Alstom.

This is freaking ridiculous!

Alstom has admitted the issues with their trains and Montreal and are working on fixing them:

https://globalnews.ca/news/11645350/...al-rem-issues/

Meanwhile they haven't admitted anything in Ottawa and are blaming the tracks.

Difference is that in Montreal, they are part of the consortium that runs the REM, while in Ottawa they are just a supplier and have no skin in the game.

If Doug Ford actually wants to help (he dosen't), he should put pressure on Alstom by threatening to black list them as a supplier and sue them. Doug is all about the threats, then threaten away. Of course he won't do that until Toronto starts having issues with Alstom trains.

[DarthVader_1961]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Alstom has admitted the issues with their trains and Montreal and are working on fixing them:

https://globalnews.ca/news/11645350/...al-rem-issues/

Meanwhile they haven't admitted anything in Ottawa and are blaming the tracks.

Difference is that in Montreal, they are part of the consortium that runs the REM, while in Ottawa they are just a supplier and have no skin in the game.

If Doug Ford actually wants to help (he dosen't), he should put pressure on Alstom by threatening to black list them as a supplier and sue them. Doug is all about the threats, then threaten away. Of course he won't do that until Toronto starts having issues with Alstom trains.

Has anyone dine an insepection/testing the actual rails?

I recall reading someplace that the tracks are to soft…

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by DarthVader_1961

Has anyone dine an insepection/testing the actual rails?

I recall reading someplace that the tracks are to soft…

Alstom propaganda?

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by DarthVader_1961

I recall reading someplace that the tracks are to soft…

"Aren't you scared the tracks might bend?"

[Richard Eade]

I fear that many here have their ‘black-coloured glasses’ on. That is, they are looking at things very pessimistically. I freely admit that I’m cynical and don’t think that people try to find the best solutions for problems (which gives me the opportunity to do A LOT of complaining about how things are done). But my complaints are always with the hope that things can be improved. I’m getting the feeling, though, that some other posters are at the point of thinking that Ottawa has fallen to a point of no return; and have resigned themself to the belief that there can never be improvement.

Now I’m reading opinions like this:
Alstom’s statement that they recognize that the REM vehicles in Montreal are not performing as needed is great – for Montreal. Alstom’s commitment to improving the sealing of electrical components of those REM vehicles is great – for Montreal. How come Ottawa is not getting the same treatment?

The REM is going through its early detection of problems – just like any new system does. Usually, those problems are obvious and easy to fix. Think back to the first year of Ottawa’s light rail line. There were LOTS of issues that had to be dealt with.

Anyone remember loud ‘CRACK’ noises and showers of sparks from ARC FLASHES? They were in all the media during the first winter of service. (Why arc flashes didn’t seem to occur during the winter testing the previous winter is anyone’s guess – but the cynical me could provide an opinion.) An investigation found that salt water run-off from road clearing operations reduced the effectiveness of the insulators on the pantograph. Once the cause was identified, Alstom redesigned the insulators and the fleet got fitted with the improved devices. Do you read about arc flashes anymore?

Just like what it is doing to better seal electrical components in Montreal, Alstom made improvements in Ottawa’s vehicles.

There have been many things that have been improved to help Ottawa’s LRT run more reliably. Believe it or not, there are still people who try to hold the doors open. But it now rarely results in a vehicle going out of service. The reason for cracks developing in the wheels was found; and resolved. Better contact strips on the pantograph are now used during the winter. A lesson learned from ‘ice-arcing’ that made such deep pits in the contact wire that it actually snapped. The ‘Track Intrusion Detection’ system has been adjusted; resulting in fewer false-positive breaking events – so fewer flat-spots on the wheels.

A LOT has been changed for the better, and I think that that is something that gets too often ignored. Sure, there are still major issues. And I think that the most important of those is a needed redesign of the axle and wheel-bearings. But even with the bearing assembly, Alstom has tried ‘band-aide’ solutions – like pinning the lock-ring so that it wouldn’t loosen in service. That turned out to be an attempt to solve a symptom, but not the real problem – but it was, at least, another thing that Alstom did to try to improve the vehicles.

I feel that not enough credit is given to Alstom (and RTM) for the things that they have done. Even pinning the lock-ring has shown that the bearing problem is so fundamental that a ‘duct-tape solution’ can not hide the underlying problem. And that, in itself, is progress.

And, yes, now would be a great time for Ottawa to get ahold of both Metrolinx and CDPQ (with regards to Quebec City’s Tramcite) to get them on-side to demand that Alstom do a full redesign of the Citadis Spirit’s axle and wheel-bearing assemble. (I expect that during the sales pitches, Alstom assured Metrolinx and CDPQ that the pinning of the lock-ring had fixed any bearing problem. Now that those organizations can clearly see that more is needed, they might want to get involved before their wheels start to fall off, too. Ottawa needs to be more pro-active about this.)

[rocketphish]

Ottawa debating how to punish itself for OC Transpo service
As city councillors discuss ideas to help Ottawa transit riders, none of the options on the table will make service any better.

By Randall Denley, Ottawa Citizen
Published Feb 04, 2026 | Last updated 1 day ago

OC Transpo’s service has become particularly dismal due to slow delivery of electric buses and a mechanical problem that has forced most Line 1 LRT trains out of service.

What should Ottawa city councillors do to help beleaguered transit riders? Make service guarantees, offer refunds, or urge infinite patience? These unappealing options will soon be debated at a city council meeting, but they all have one important thing in common: none of them will make OC Transpo service better.

Coun. Sean Devine wants some kind of accountability mechanism that would encourage OC Transpo to deliver better service and possibly pay riders refunds if it does not. Devine doesn’t expect immediate action given the current transit issues, and is aiming to marry his idea up with a service improvement plan expected by the end of next year.

Good thing he’s not in a rush. Asking a government bureaucracy to find a way to punish itself for poor performance is a daunting task.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe is not keen on the idea of refunds. That’s understandable, given the challenges of paying for transit service, but the mayor’s arguments aren’t quite up to his usual standard.

A refund would mean “it’s their own money we’re giving them,” Sutcliffe said. That would be the very essence of a refund, getting your money back. What the mayor meant was that everyone pays for transit service and refunds would put even more pressure on property taxes, but from the standpoint of a user, a refund is a refund. Their taxes aren’t going up this year because of it.

Sutcliffe also said, “I don’t want to take money out of the public transit budget that could go towards improving service.” OK, but improving service is not an option until new buses arrive and the trains are fixed. It’s not a money problem.

Sutcliffe also points out that although there are fewer trains available, the city is running single-car trains at a greater frequency than the usual two-car trains. Bus routes have been pared back to what the city can manage with its limited bus numbers. That’s a rational approach.

The mayor’s concern about transit finances is understandable. They’re in terrible shape. In theory, property taxes pay for 55 per cent of OC Transpo costs and riders 45 per cent. Due to low ridership and rapidly increasing costs, property taxes will cover 67 per cent this year.

Even with that, there is a $47 million hole in the transit budget, which the city hopes to plug with promised — but not yet delivered — provincial government money to cover LRT capital and maintenance costs.

All that said, it doesn’t seem right that transit riders are paying full price for a partial service. A motion by Coun. Shawn Menard could lead to a reasonable solution. Menard wants staff to look at compensation options and report back before the end of March.

There should be some money available for compensation within the transit budget. Surely operating fewer buses means lower costs. Rideau Transit Group, a private company that maintains the trains, is likely to owe the city compensation for not providing useable equipment.

“Running fewer buses or trains does not automatically translate into operating savings for OC Transpo,” city spokesperson Katrina Camposarcone-Stubbs says, while acknowledging reduced bus service “could result in some limited savings” and “payments are anticipated to be reduced” under the city’s maintenance contract.

Menard’s motion is likely to be supported and a reasonable outcome would be a temporary discount of something like 20 per cent for transit pass buyers, the city’s most frequent and loyal customers.

What councillors will have to ask themselves is how much the city is prepared to spend to buy some goodwill. When it comes to transit, that’s a rare commodity.

Randall Denley is an Ottawa journalist and author. Contact him at [email protected]

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/oc...ice-punishment

[rocketphish]

Council to talk potential compensation for recent bus, LRT disruptions
Coun. Shawn Menard floats idea of free fares during Line 1 east extension opening

Guy Quenneville · CBC News
Posted: Feb 11, 2026 9:06 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Ottawa city councillors are set to debate on Wednesday the merits and disadvantages of compensating OC Transpo users for service disruptions on buses and Line 1 LRT this winter.

A motion from Coun. Shawn Menard is calling on city staff to explore options, including refunds, future discounts and "capital improvements to reliability."

On Tuesday, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he's "not excited" about the idea of issuing refunds to transit riders because "that's incredibly complicated and it just means there's less money in the transit system going forward."

Sutcliffe said he instead supports the idea of "reinvesting savings generated when there's a problem with service."

In the past, the city has held back money from Rideau Transit Maintenance — the arm of Rideau Transit Group (RTG) in charge of maintaining the LRT system — when issues such as the latest train car wheel assembly problem have come up. And after that new issue came to light, the head of OC Transpo said the city will levy financial penalties against RTG for its inability to provide acceptable service.

<more>

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...ions-9.7082967

[Richard Eade]

I had the ‘opportunity’ to ride Line 1 a few times last week. On one of the rides, I was sitting over the front-most axle of Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) 1161. One of the things that struck me was the roughness of the ride. It was like being on a bus along Carling. Every little imperfection in the track (switches, expansion joints, etc.) there was a ‘bang’ and it felt like the wheels hit a pothole. This was over the entire length of the east-bound track. For the return (west-bound) trip, I walked to the other end of the LRV and sat over the rear-most axle of the same LRV (1161) – thus, I was over the leading axle of the LRV in each direction. The trip seemed much smoother – much less like hitting potholes.

Figuring that it might have something to do with the tracks, I rode 1162 back out to Blair, and it was much like the west-bound trip on 1161 – it was fine. I’m not sure what was up with that front-most axle on LRV 1161, but I suspect that that vehicle may be in for service soon.

Anyway, I traveled back and forth on several Line 1 LRVs, recently, and it struck me that they all have the same shuttering and a resonant ‘drone’ as they go around ANY curve. Even moderate curves seem to produce the noise. And, although I’m certainly no expert with sound, it sounds to me to be roughly the same ‘droning’, whether the curve is tight or not, and regardless of the speed of the LRV.

Then I think back to the previous symptom of the problem; the loosening of the bearing lock-ring. This seems to me to be something that happens when there is extreme vibration – like all of the nuts and bolts of your 4x4 getting shaken loose when driving on a ‘washboard’ road (or Carling). And, just like a dirt road, I suspect that the Line 1 tracks suffer from corrugation.

My question is; Does anyone have any expertise on the resonance of suspension systems? Should Alstom try variable-rate springs? Vibration dampers (shock absorbers)? Softer suspension springs? Would it make a difference if the LRVs were lighter, or heavier?

[DarthVader_1961]

I noticed roughness/grinding in several trips between Hurdman and lees, heading west…

[Richard Eade]

And that’s my point. The ‘shuttering’ and resulting harmonic ‘droning’ heard within the LRV seems to be on virtually every bend. It is not just the tighter curves east of Hurdman.

I haven’t been on Montreal’s REM, but I did ride the Vancouver Canada Line Skytrain a bit last fall. I noticed some ‘flange grinding’ around curves on the Skytrain, but nothing like the shuttering that occurs with the LRVs in Ottawa.

I believe that RTM was to add ‘Top of Track Greasers’ to the Hurdman curves. Does anyone know if these are actually installed (and working) yet?

(Rideau Transit Maintenance is the organization responsible for keeping Line 1 running. Rideau Transit Group – RTG – I believe stopped being active with Line 1 once the line was accepted by the City of Ottawa. I expect that RTG only still exists to finish court battles.)

[mossvalley11]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

And that’s my point. The ‘shuttering’ and resulting harmonic ‘droning’ heard within the LRV seems to be on virtually every bend. It is not just the tighter curves east of Hurdman.

I haven’t been on Montreal’s REM, but I did ride the Vancouver Canada Line Skytrain a bit last fall. I noticed some ‘flange grinding’ around curves on the Skytrain, but nothing like the shuttering that occurs with the LRVs in Ottawa.

I believe that RTM was to add ‘Top of Track Greasers’ to the Hurdman curves. Does anyone know if these are actually installed (and working) yet?

(Rideau Transit Maintenance is the organization responsible for keeping Line 1 running. Rideau Transit Group – RTG – I believe stopped being active with Line 1 once the line was accepted by the City of Ottawa. I expect that RTG only still exists to finish court battles.)

RTM installed LBFoster rail side lubricators on many of the outside curves over a year ago. They are currently functioning. If you look closely, you can see the silver railside terminals which control the lubrication (they are powered by solar panels) and hoses which lead to the actual rail lubricators attached to the rails. The rough ride around curves can also be impacted by other factors as well such as wheel/rail condition and weather conditions such as temperature.

[mossvalley11]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Council to talk potential compensation for recent bus, LRT disruptions
Coun. Shawn Menard floats idea of free fares during Line 1 east extension opening

Guy Quenneville · CBC News
Posted: Feb 11, 2026 9:06 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Ottawa city councillors are set to debate on Wednesday the merits and disadvantages of compensating OC Transpo users for service disruptions on buses and Line 1 LRT this winter.

A motion from Coun. Shawn Menard is calling on city staff to explore options, including refunds, future discounts and "capital improvements to reliability."

On Tuesday, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he's "not excited" about the idea of issuing refunds to transit riders because "that's incredibly complicated and it just means there's less money in the transit system going forward."

Sutcliffe said he instead supports the idea of "reinvesting savings generated when there's a problem with service."

In the past, the city has held back money from Rideau Transit Maintenance — the arm of Rideau Transit Group (RTG) in charge of maintaining the LRT system — when issues such as the latest train car wheel assembly problem have come up. And after that new issue came to light, the head of OC Transpo said the city will levy financial penalties against RTG for its inability to provide acceptable service.

<more>

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...ions-9.7082967

Along the city is confident publicly, it may be difficult to get RTM to pay penalties this time, as Alstom and RTM believe the trains are currently safe to use. It is the city (and their consultant) who made the call to pull all trains above the 100k KM limit on the bogies. Lawyers will likely need to get involved.

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

(Rideau Transit Maintenance is the organization responsible for keeping Line 1 running. Rideau Transit Group – RTG – I believe stopped being active with Line 1 once the line was accepted by the City of Ottawa. I expect that RTG only still exists to finish court battles.)

RTG holds the maintenance contract with the City of Ottawa and very much still exists. OLRT-C was the construction contractor which has very limited remaining operations. RTM is the maintenance contractor for RTG, along with Alstom and Hitachi for their scopes.