No back-to-service plan yet for Ottawa's LRT

There is no back-to-service plan yet for the Confederation Line LRT after it was abruptly shut down during the Monday afternoon rush, a new memo reveals.

There is no back-to-service plan yet for the Confederation Line LRT after it was abruptly shut down during the Monday afternoon rush, a new memo reveals.

In a memo to the mayor and councillors released Wednesday afternoon, transportation services general manager Renée Amilcar said Rideau Transit Group (RTG) is still developing a return to service plan.

There was no word on any timeline for when a plan might be developed or how long the work being undertaken will take to complete.

OC Transpo shut down the full Confederation Line between Blair and Tunney's Pasture stations on Monday afternoon after a routine inspection revealed an issue with a bearing on one vehicle. R1 replacement bus service is running with 28 buses during the morning and afternoon peak periods, with buses arriving at stops every 5 minutes.

Amilcar's Wednesday memo said that the axle hub assemblies of nine light rail vehicles have been inspected and no issue was found. The underbodies of 35 vehicles have been inspected for signs of excess grease, and no sign was found.

The axle hub from the vehicle that had the issue, prompting the system-wide shutdown, was sent to the manufacturer for a detailed investigation.

A test train will be coupled with a light rail vehicle equipped with "smart bugs" to gather additional data about the line. A test train ran for much of the day Tuesday to gather data on the wear and tear that the wheel hub assembly of the trains may be experiencing. Tests also measures the width and height of the rails relative to each other. That data still needs to be analyzed.