OC Transpo bringing double-car LRT service back on weekdays

A westbound train travels along the Confederation Line of Ottawa's Light Rail System.

OC Transpo says passengers on the Confederation Line will see more double-car trains starting next week.

Service on the LRT has been largely relegated to single-car trains following last summer's 28-day shutdown over axle issues. Some double-car trains have been made available during peak periods in the past four months, but OC Transpo now says that regular double-car service will run on weekdays starting Monday.

"The move to double-car trains is due to a new measure that extends the life of the wheel hub assemblies on the vehicles while continuing to ensure the ongoing safe operation of the fleet," said a memo written by acting GM of Transit Services Richard Holder.

Trains will operate approximately every five to six minutes, he said.

Single-car train service will continue to operate on weekends to meet current ridership levels.

The move to single-car service in August came as a result of an updated safety note from train manufacturer Alstom that now requires axle hub assemblies to be replaced every 60,000 km of service. Running single cars was meant to reduce the amount of service kilometres on each vehicle in order to extend the life of the axle hubs.

The return to double-car service, which is the service level that was promised for Line 1, comes as part of a test of a short-term solution to axle hub problems that have troubled the line for years.

The city's Transit Commission heard last month that the Rideau Transit Group (RTG) and Alstom have proposed placing a pin in the restraining nut on the axle hubs to prevent it from unscrewing. This is meant to serve as a stop gap until Alstom redesigns the axle hub assemblies and the new assemblies are fully installed across the fleet, which was touted by OC Transpo officials as the permanent solution to the problems with the axles.

In his memo, Holder said Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) completed the necessary testing and analysis of the proposed nut pinning solution.

"OC Transpo and Transportation Resource Associates (TRA) are satisfied that safety requirements have been met and the hub assemblies with the nut pinning solution can now be deployed to in-service vehicles. This added measure allows for the immediate return to double-car trains on Line 1," Holder wrote.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was happy with the announcement.

"I’m pleased to see the return of double-car train service. This brings us one step closer to delivering a level of service that our customers expect and deserve," he said in a City of Ottawa news release.

Transit Commission chair Coun. Glen Gower added, "This is great news for commuters who I know will appreciate the extra space on O-Train Line 1. We continue to work to improve service reliability for transit riders."

Holder added that test trains would operate during regular service hours over the next couple of months to gather additional data for ongoing safety assurance and to allow for early detection of potential issues.

Transit riders might see these test trains on occasion. Announcements at stations will advise customers that the approaching train is not in service. Test trains are also labelled with decals.

There have been three major incidents related to the wheel hub and axle bearing assembly since August 2021, including the derailment of an LRT vehicle at Tunney's Pasture Station. O-Train service was interrupted for 28 days in July and August 2023 after a routine inspection discovered excess grease on an axle hub assembly on one train.