LRT disruptions could last until Tuesday
CTV
LRT service in Ottawa remains partially disrupted and full service could be offline until Tuesday, according to officials.
LRT service in Ottawa remains partially disrupted and full service could be offline until Tuesday, according to officials.
OC Transpo started to move trains between Hurdman and Lees stations Sunday afternoon, more than 72 hours after two trains became stuck in a freezing rainstorm, causing disruptions on the Confederation Line. So far, only two of the four stuck trains have been moved off the line.
Trains have been stuck in the area of Hurdman Station since Wednesday night. An attempt to clear ice on Friday resulted in damage to the overhead catenary system that powers the train (the OCS) and a train that was sent to remove one of the other stuck trains on Saturday damaged the wires again, causing it to also become stuck.
In a media availability Sunday evening, transit services GM Renée Amilcar said disruptions to full service would continue Monday and might continue into Tuesday as well.
The service plan on Monday will include running trains between Blair and Tremblay stations in the east end and between Tunney's Pasture and uOttawa stations in the west end.
Director of transit service delivery and rail operations Troy Charter said OC Transpo expects to have trains available every five minutes on each loop.
R1 service will run from Blair to Rideau stations, to give transit riders in the east end the option to take the bus all the way downtown instead of disembarking the LRT at Tremblay and continuing by bus to Rideau from there. Charter says they hope to have an R1 bus available roughly every 10 minutes. Amilcar said she hopes the parallel service will help to alleviate congestion as people return to work and school after the holidays. The R1 will not stop at Cyrville station, a media release from the city said. Customers will have to transfer at St. Laurent or Blair.
