Ottawa launched light rail service prematurely, builder says

OTTAWA — The consortium that built and operates Ottawa’s problem-plagued light rail Confederation Line has claimed the city launched the service before it was ready and without consulting with the builders, according to a court document filed in a dispute between the city and contractor.

The CBC reports Rideau Transit Group CEO Nicolas Truchon makes the claim in an affidavit filed with Ontario Superior Court. The court is being asked to rule on a motion by the city that the transit group is in default of its contract, which would allow Ottawa to terminate a 30-year maintenance contract worth more than $1 billion.

Truchon’s affidavit says the city opened the line prematurely because of “intense political pressure” and “did not consult either RTG or the construction contractor” before beginning full service just two weeks after the formal handoff from RTG to the city.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said Wednesday he “fundamentally” disagreed with the RTG depiction of events, saying “it was their call and obviously we consulted with them.”

RTG argues that the city did not follow dispute resolution procedures spelled out in its contract, and the city’s motion should therefore be stayed. Truchon’s affidavit also claims the decision to go to court is politically motivated to distract from an inquiry by the province of Ontario into the problems with the Confederation Line.

The city will be responding with an affidavit of its own by March 14, a city official said.

Ontario announced plans for its inquiry into the light rail system in November 2021, shortly after the end of a 54-day shutdown stemming from a September derailment [see “After 54 days, Ottawa light rail service resumes,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 12, 2021].

The Ottawa system has had a long history of problems since it began operation in 2019, including malfunctioning doors, broken axles, and cracked wheels.