Sustained R1 service could lead to bus cancellations as LRT disruption continues
CTV
The city of Ottawa says OC Transpo is looking at several service plans for Sunday and into the workweek as trains remain stuck on part of the Confederation Line, but those plans could affect other commuters.
The city of Ottawa says OC Transpo is looking at several service plans for Sunday and into the workweek as trains remain stuck on part of the Confederation Line, but those plans could affect other commuters.
Two trains became stuck on the line during a freezing rainstorm on Wednesday, when a significant amount of ice built up on the overhead wires that power the light rail transit system. An attempt to clear ice Friday caused more damage to the wires, leaving a third train immobilized on the line. An attempt to move one of the stuck trains on Saturday caused even more damage, immobilizing a fourth train.
OC Transpo is offering rail service between Blair and Tremblay stations, with R1 service running from St. Laurent to Rideau and then another train loop between uOttawa and Tunney’s Pasture in the west end.
Troy Charter, director of transit service delivery and rail operations, tells CTV News Ottawa that keeping that R1 service running will affect other parts of the bus network.
“Our commitment is to continue to provide R1 with as frequent a service as possible, but I do need to be 100 per cent transparent and honest in this regard, we do know that there will likely be other impacts to increasing cancellations in other parts of the system,” he said in an interview. “The teams are working through that to try to minimize those impacts. And we’re going to continue to work through this all weekend.”
Students are returning to classes on Monday and some federal public servants, who have been working from home since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be coming back into downtown offices starting Monday, which would mean increased demand on the system.
