OC Transpo to run single-car trains through rest of summer

Ottawa's light rail system will run single-car trains for the remainder of the summer as service gradually returns following a multi-week shutdown, OC Transpo says.

Five single-car trains returned to operationTuesday morningalong a portion of the Confederation Line, which is normally serviced by two-car trains.

"So far, we are happy with how the partial service is running," Rene Amilcar, the city's general manager of transit services,said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.

Service resumedbetween Tunney's Pasture and uOttawa stations on Tuesday morning, several days ahead of schedule.

Amilcar said the partial reopening was made possible over the long weekend, as work to repositionrestraining rails between those stations was completed. Restraining rails are located alongside the tracks and are intended to prevent derailments.

Work is ongoing to adjustrestraining railsandprevent contact with train wheels, which is believed to be creating pressure and wearing out parts. As of Tuesday, adjustmentsto 10 out of16 spots along the linehad been completed.

Further adjustments are still required in theeast end of the track.

'Ridership is not here'

Full service for the rest of the line is still expected to start on Aug. 14, Amilcarsaid.For the rest of August, OC Transpo expects to run 11 single-car trains during peak periods in the morningand 13during peak periods in the afternoon. Nine trains will run during off-peak hours.

"To be able toconstantly maintain a level of service, we need to be able to do that," Amilcar said, referring to the decision toruntrains in single cars rather than pairs. "And because, as well, the ridership is not here."

Train ridership at the beginning of the yearwasat about 43 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, Amilcar added.

OC Transpo's service planfor September is still being worked on.

Joel Lemieux, the city's acting director of transit service delivery and rail operations,said hewas unable toprovide ridership numbers for Tuesday, but added R1 buses had light use in placeswhere the train was running.

Lemieux saidLRT platforms never had more than about 50 people at any time, and the trainstravelled at "seated loads."

Partial return Tuesday

On Tuesday morning, service returned with five single-car trains running every five minutes. A sixth train is also available to accommodate higher volumes during peak periods.

The R1, R1 Express and Para R1 replacement buses will continue to operate alongside the trains for the time being.

R1 service will continue for "at least one day" afterfull LRT service resumes, Amilcar said.

Ottawa's light rail system has been shut down since July 17, when it was pulled from service during afternoon rush hour after a routine inspection uncovered a problem with a bearing.

The problem behind the current shutdown is "similar to what was found" to have caused a derailment in August 2021 and a wheel hub failure in July 2022, OC Transpo said.