OTTAWA, Ontario — The Transportation Safety Board is deploying a team of investigators following a incident that saw the derailment of one axle of a train on Ottawa’s light rail Confederation line, shutting down the line on Monday.
The CBC reports the incident occurred about 8:30 p.m. Sunday when an out-of-service train was changing tracks and one wheel derailed at a switch. Troy Charter, Ottawa’s director of transit operations, told the CBC the O-Train light rail line will remain closed until an investigation by operator Rideau Transit Maintenance can determine the cause, a process that could take days.
The Confederation Line has been plagued by issues since its opening in 2019, including jammed-door issues when it began operation [see “Jammed doors lead to service woes …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 10, 2019] and a cracked-wheel problem that led to a prior TSB investigation [see “Digest: Amtrak inspector general expresses concern …,” News Wire, Dec. 16, 2020].
” the O-Train light rail line will remain closed until an investigation by operator Rideau Transit Maintenance can determine the cause, a process that could take days.”
If it were a bus accident, there would be another one in 15 minutes.
Hate to say it but sometimes I have to tell the truth. Ottawa can live without its light rail and San Jose can live without its light rail. Light rail is a niche product. Boston survived for a day on two without the Green Line “B” …. and Boston BTW has survived about sixty years or so without the Green Line “A”.