The return-to-service for the O-Train Monday morning is dependent on OC Transpo reaching three milestones, including analyzing the final report from the French manufacturer on the inspection and investigation into the problem wheel hub.
And when O-Train service does resume, there will be eight single-car trains running along the 13 km route for the foreseeable future to “control the kilometres” on the vehicles, OC Transpo’s boss says.
Transit Services general manager Renee Amilcar and officials from Rideau Transit Group and Rideau Transit Maintenance provided an update on the return-to-service plan Thursday afternoon, 11 days after the O-Train shutdown after a problem was discovered on an axle-bearing on one LRT vehicle during a routine inspection.
Amilcar says to resume service safety on Monday, the three milestones required are:
Inspection of all LRT vehicles. Inspections of 44 vehicles were completed on July 23, with six vehicles are undergoing additional investigations
Final safety note from Rideau Transit Group outlining the parameters of the new containment plan for the safe operations of Line 1. A draft version of the safety note was delivered this week.
Texelis report based on the disassembly and analysis of the out of tolerance hub. OC Transpo/RTG expect the report on Friday
“If all milestones are not met, we will not resume Line 1 service because safety is paramount,” Amilcar said.
Amilcar adds that based on the findings of the report from the axle manufacturer on Friday, “We will able to confirm if there are any actionable requirements for safe operations and the timing to begin rail service.”
OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Group announced Wednesday that all leading and trailing wheel hub assemblies and axles will be replaced on O-Train vehicles every 60,000 km as part of a new inspection and replacement regime.
O-Train and Rideau Transit Group will be conducting trial running along the O-Train line on Saturday and Sunday to prepare for the expected return-to-service on Monday.
Amilcar says other preparations include:
Reviewing all stations to ensure they are clean and ready to open
Verifying the stations and tracks are ready for operation
Ensuring all the customer signage and announcement systems are working
Reviewing and preparing new wayfinding signage and communications materials to assist customers in navigating the stations and R1 stop locations
Preparing red-vested outreach: Transit Supervisors and Rail Operations staff will be at key stations along Line 1 to support customers
The O-Train was abruptly shut down on Monday, July 17 after an axle bearing issue was discovered on one train during a routine inspection. City officials said all 45 trains would need to be inspected as part of the root cause investigation into the issue before LRT service resumes.
Eight single-car trains for the foreseeable future
When O-Train service resumes, it will be running with eight, single-car LRT vehicles for the foreseeable future.
Amilcar says they will continue to run single-car trains to save kilometres ahead of the return to work and school in September.
“When Alstom will be able to give us more vehicles, we’ll do a permutation with those eight trains to maintain,” Amilcar said.
“We’ll have to play with the trains to be able to control the kilometres because we don’t want to give a service today and in one month stop everything because we have to inspect them or we have to change axles. For now, we guarantee eight trains and before we can increment that number we’ll keep R1 service in place.”
OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Maintenance had been operating 11 double-car trains along the O-Train line through the summer.
Amilcar also addressed criticism of the return-to-service plan with single-car trains.
“We should take a moment to recognize that our LRT system was designed to be adaptable and flexible,” Amilcar said.
“We are using this design to be proactive and respond to changing conditions.”
Sutcliffe “hopeful” LRT fixes will address root causes
In a statement on Twitter, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe thanked residents for their patience during the O-Train shutdown.
“I want to emphasize that I don’t expect residents to have confidence in the system until service is restored, and the chronic and persistent issues we’ve experienced have been permanently addressed,” Sutcliffe said on Thursday.
Sutcliffe says he’s “hopeful and encouraged” the city and OC Transpo are “finally starting to get to the root causes” of the issues with the O-Train.
“We have been working hard to do things differently to proactively communicate with residents on the ongoing LRT work,” Sutcliffe said.
“And we are focused on your safety and following the recommendations of the inquiry. We are also working collaboratively with RTG and the consortium. There’s a high level of communication with the public, and we are working toward not just temporary fixes but advancing the permanent solutions that will deliver the light rail service Ottawa residents expect and deserve.”
CALGARY – TC Energy Corp. has lowered the estimated cost of its Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico.
It says it now expects the project to cost between US$3.9 billion and US$4.1 billion compared with its original estimate of US$4.5 billion.
The change came as the company reported a third-quarter profit attributable to common shareholders of C$1.46 billion or $1.40 per share compared with a loss of C$197 million or 19 cents per share in the same quarter last year.
Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 totalled C$4.08 billion, up from C$3.94 billion in the third quarter of 2023.
TC Energy says its comparable earnings for its latest quarter amounted to C$1.03 per share compared with C$1.00 per share a year earlier.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
BCE Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter as it recorded $2.11 billion in asset impairment charges, mainly related to Bell Media’s TV and radio properties.
The company says its net loss attributable to common shareholders amounted to $1.24 billion or $1.36 per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $640 million or 70 cents per share a year earlier.
On an adjusted basis, BCE says it earned 75 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 81 cents per share in the same quarter last year.
“Bell’s results for the third quarter demonstrate that we are disciplined in our pursuit of profitable growth in an intensely competitive environment,” BCE chief executive Mirko Bibic said in a statement.
“Our focus this quarter, and throughout 2024, has been to attract higher-margin subscribers and reduce costs to help offset short-term revenue impacts from sustained competitive pricing pressures, slow economic growth and a media advertising market that is in transition.”
Operating revenue for the quarter totalled $5.97 billion, down from $6.08 billion in its third quarter of 2023.
BCE also said it now expects its revenue for 2024 to fall about 1.5 per cent compared with earlier guidance for an increase of zero to four per cent.
The company says the change comes as it faces lower-than-anticipated wireless product revenue and sustained pressure on wireless prices.
BCE added 33,111 net postpaid mobile phone subscribers, down 76.8 per cent from the same period last year, which was the company’s second-best performance on the metric since 2010.
It says the drop was driven by higher customer churn — a measure of subscribers who cancelled their service — amid greater competitive activity and promotional offer intensity. BCE’s monthly churn rate for the category was 1.28 per cent, up from 1.1 per cent during its previous third quarter.
The company also saw 11.6 per cent fewer gross subscriber activations “due to more targeted promotional offers and mobile device discounting compared to last year.”
Bell’s wireless mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.26, down 3.4 per cent from $60.28 in the third quarter of the prior year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. trimmed its financial guidance as it reported its second-quarter revenue fell compared with a year ago.
The luxury clothing company says revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 29 totalled $267.8 million, down from $281.1 million in the same quarter last year.
Net income attributable to shareholders amounted to $5.4 million or six cents per diluted share, up from $3.9 million or four cents per diluted share a year earlier.
On an adjusted basis, Canada Goose says it earned five cents per diluted share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 16 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
In its outlook, Canada Goose says it now expects total revenue for its full financial year to show a low-single-digit percentage decrease to low-single-digit percentage increase compared with earlier guidance for a low-single-digit increase.
It also says it now expects its adjusted net income per diluted share to show a mid-single-digit percentage increase compared with earlier guidance for a percentage increase in the mid-teens.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
