More R1 buses promised for morning commute as LRT shutdown enters third full day

OC Transpo is promising more buses for R1 service during the morning and afternoon commutes to help alleviate stress at station platforms as the latest shutdown of the O-Train Line 1 enters its third full day.

OC Transpo is promising more buses for R1 service during the morning and afternoon commutes to help alleviate stress at station platforms as the latest shutdown of the O-Train Line 1 enters its third full day.

Light rail service is halted and all LRT stations are closed after a 50,000 km inspection of one of the trains found an issue with an axle bearing on Monday. OC Transpo ordered the immediate shutdown of all LRT service in the middle of the afternoon, forcing riders off of trains and out of stations and onto R1 buses.

R1 service Monday afternoon and evening ran with 20 buses. That was bumped up to 28 during peak travel periods Tuesday and Wednesday morning. By Wednesday afternoon, there were 32 buses available to run the R1 route.

In a memo Wednesday, transit services general manager Renée Amilcar said OC Transpo would be providing 36 buses during peak periods.

"This change is being made to increase reliability and mitigate traffic issues that impact bus service," Amilcar wrote.

Transit users have frequently noted the unreliability of R1 service, especially during peak periods, when buses are packed and can be too full to pick up passengers after one or two stops.

The head of the union that represents OC Transpo drivers also says R1 service affects the rest of the system.