Problematic LRT train parts still pose 'risk to safety,' TSB says

The Transportation Safety Board is issuing a dire warning about the axle bearing assembly on Ottawa's Confederation Line vehicles, saying they will "continue to pose a risk to safety" until OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Maintenance resolve the issue.

The Transportation Safety Board is issuing a dire warning about the cartridge assembly in the axles on Ottawa's Confederation Line vehicles, saying they will "continue to pose a risk to safety" until OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Maintenance resolve the issues "to protect the travelling public."

In a Rail Safety Advisory issued to OC Transpo on Feb. 3, the federal agency says the cartridge assembly failures that caused two derailments in 2021 and a component failure last July "cannot be attributed to a single component", and the combination of the newly designed Alstom Citadis Spirit vehicle and the "more powerful drivetrain" are to blame.

The TSB letter also suggests the lack of an on-board heat detection system in the automated cartridge assembly is adding additional maintenance that is "labour intensive and time consuming for a component that should last over 1.2 million kilometres."

In a memo announcing the TSB’s letter, the city’s head of transit services said the LRT system is safe

“RTG has provided the City with written confirmation that the O-Train Line 1 system is safe,” Renee Amilcar said. "After reviewing the letter, OC Transpo and RTG can confirm that all enhanced system safety measures in place align with TSB suggestions."

However, the TSB's letter suggests there is more work to be done to ensure the system is safe for riders.

On Wednesday, OC Transpo released the Rail Safety Advisory sent by the Transportation Safety Board on Feb. 3 regarding the vehicle axle bearing assemblies on O-Train vehicles. The TSB looked into the two derailments in August and September 2021, and the issue discovered with the wheel axle hub on a train last July.