The partial closure of the LRT is continuing into its third day after repair efforts Saturday morning caused further damage to the system for the third time since the breakdown.
According to the latest OC Transpo update early Saturday, Confederation Line trains continue to run on two loops: between Blair and Tremblay stations in the east and between Tunney’s Pasture and uOttawa stations in the west.
R1 bus service remains in place between St-Laurent and Rideau stations.
OC Transpo does not yet have an estimated time for full service to be restored.
In the update, transit services general manager Renée Amilcar said crews successfully removed ice from the overhead wires Friday night.
But when Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) sent a train at low speed to tow one of the immobilized trains, it instead caused additional damage to the overhead wire, Amilcar wrote.
3rd time repair attempts caused more damage
After the initial stoppage, the wire was first damaged Thursday when crews attempted to move one of the immobilized trains from Lees station to a maintenance facility.
The towing attempt Saturday morning was the second time since then that RTM had sent a train into that section of the track and the second time it resulted in damage to the wire.
The first time RTM sent a train with a special attachment called a winter carbon strip to remove ice from the overhead wire. The train was unsuccessful in removing the ice buildup and caused further damage to a short section of the wire which Amilcar said would require repairs.
“RTM is now conducting a thorough inspection of that entire section of the OCS [Overhead Catenary System] before further attempts are made to move any trains in and out of that area,” Amilcar wrote on Saturday.
Amilcar added OC Transpo is bringing in “additional external oversight” to closely monitor RTM’s work. The new oversight will supplement the existing oversight firm TRA Inc. that OC Transpo hired in Oct. 2021.
Here’s an update with the latest information available: <br><br>⚠️Line 1: Train service is operating between Blair and Tremblay stations in the east and between Tunney’s Pasture and uOttawa stations in the west. <br><br>➡️ R1 service is operating between St. Laurent and Rideau stations.<br><br>1/5 <a href=”https://t.co/kqBfKGszCc”>pic.twitter.com/kqBfKGszCc</a>
Stuart MacKay, a board member with transit advocacy group Ottawa Transit Riders, said he believes “an inordinate” number of incidents have occurred along the stretch between uOttawa and Tremblay stations.
“I think we have to start having some serious questions about that stretch of track,” MacKay said. “Are we doing everything in terms of preventative measures?”
Regular LRT passenger Gabriel White was forced to take an R1 replacement bus on his way to work Saturday.
Gabriel White waits for an R1 replacement bus outside the Rideau Centre on Saturday. (Guy Quenneville/CBC News)
Speaking to CBC at a bus stop outside the Rideau Centre, White said the train is an important part of his routine commute from Gatineau to the St. Laurent Shopping Centre.
“I depend very much on these trains,” he said. “They have to put the train back on service. It is more efficient, and it is more time-saving.”
Out of service since Wednesday
Two out-of-service trains near Lees station have prevented any trains from running through the section of track between uOttawa and Hurdman stations since Wednesday night.
A sign outside the uOttawa LRT station warns passengers that O-Train Line 1 service is not available due to a damaged overhead wire. (Guy Quenneville/CBC News)
Memos from the city and a Friday afternoon news conference that included the CEO of the track maintenance group explained the cascading set of problems.
A freezing rain warning Wednesday night saw ice begin to fall by 10 p.m. at the international airport, according to Environment Canada.
Video tweeted just after 11 p.m. showed bright flashes and sparks around the system near Hurdman station, which the city said can happen in challenging weather and aren’t necessarily a safety risk.
A broken wire on the overhead power system for Ottawa’s Confederation Line on Friday. (David Bates/Radio-Canada)
Two trains stopped around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday between Lees and Hurdman stations. Amilcar said at the time the stoppage was because of ice buildup on the power system.
Rideau Transit Maintenance CEO Mario Guerra said when the trains stopped, more ice built up on the equipment to the point trains couldn’t get through.
Guerra said Friday after the ice was removed — which has now happened — the power system would need to be repaired, the two stopped trains removed, and the system tested to ensure trains can run safely.
TORONTO – Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported net income of US$357 million for its third quarter, down from US$364 million in the same quarter last year.
The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its profit amounted to 79 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with 79 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, totalled US$2.29 billion, up from US$1.84 billion in the same quarter last year.
Consolidated comparable sales were up 0.3 per cent.
On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 93 cents US per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 90 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $420 million, up from $394 million in the same quarter last year.
The electric and gas utility says the profit amounted to 85 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 81 cents per share a year earlier.
Fortis says the increase was driven by rate base growth across its utilities, and strong earnings in Arizona largely reflecting new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power.
Revenue in the quarter totalled $2.77 billion, up from $2.72 billion in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 85 cents per share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share in the third quarter of 2023.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 82 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
TORONTO – Thomson Reuters reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago as its revenue rose eight per cent.
The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says it earned US$301 million or 67 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30. The result compared with a profit of US$367 million or 80 cents US per diluted share in the same quarter a year earlier.
Revenue for the quarter totalled US$1.72 billion, up from US$1.59 billion a year earlier.
In its outlook, Thomson Reuters says it now expects organic revenue growth of 7.0 per cent for its full year, up from earlier expectations for growth of 6.5 per cent.
On an adjusted basis, Thomson Reuters says it earned 80 cents US per share in its latest quarter, down from an adjusted profit of 82 cents US per share in the same quarter last year.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 76 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
