OTTAWA, Ontario — Service on Ottawa’s light rail Confederation Line was reduced on Thursday, just four days after it resumed following a four-week shutdown, because of issues with a restraining rail on a curve between the Hurdman and uOttawa stations.
All trains were routed onto the eastbound track between those two stations when it was discovered wheels were rubbing against the restraining rail on the westbound track, the Ottawa Citizen reports. As a result of the single-tracking, trains were operating on 15-minute headways, instead of the 4-minute rush-hour intervals planned when service resumed on Monday.
Contact between wheels and the restraining rails is a concern because of ongoing axle-bearing issues with the system’s Alstom light rail vehicles. During the system shutdown that ended Monday, the restraining rails had been realigned by small margins that were supposed to prevent contact between the wheels and rails, easing strain on the bearings [see “Return of Ottawa light rail line pushed back …,” Trains News Wire, July 29, 2023].
Work to address the issue was planned overnight, with transit agency OC Transpo saying it expected normal operation to be restored by today (Friday, Aug. 18), the Citizen reports.
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