Ottawa LRT system to return to double-car service beginning Monday

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Double-car service will return to the Confederation Line beginning Monday.

The double-car trains will function on weekdays, Richard Holder, the Metropolis of Ottawa’s director of engineering companies, mentioned in a memo to councillors on Friday.

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“The bigger trains will accommodate buyer volumes in the course of the busiest instances on the system, enhancing buyer consolation,” Holder’s memo mentioned. “Trains will function roughly each 5 to 6 minutes.”

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As OC Transpo ready to return to service after a shutdown final summer time, fleet managers turned to single trains to accommodate a brand new inspection regime that required alternative of axles each 60,000 kilometres, as a substitute of each 175,000 kilometres, as had been the observe.

Trains have been pulled from service on July 17 after a routine upkeep inspection discovered extra grease on an axle. The brand new inspection regime was launched to fulfill a security notice offered by Alstom, which manufactures the LRT trains, and Rideau Transit Group, which maintains the rail transit system.

Because of this, OC Transpo needed to fastidiously handle the provision of autos to make sure there could be sufficient able to function whereas additionally assembly the necessities for extra frequent wheel meeting alternative.

The transfer to double-car trains is now potential as a consequence of a brand new measure extending the lifetime of the wheel hub assemblies whereas persevering with to make sure protected operation of the fleet, Holder mentioned.

At a joint transit fee and light-weight rail subcommittee assembly on Dec. 14, transit employees offered an replace on a proposal so as to add pins to the restraining nut on axle hubs to increase their useable life. The brand new assemblies have been put in on a take a look at practice that ran up and down the observe with a load simulating a automotive stuffed with passengers. The take a look at practice needed to run 1,500 kilometres trouble-free earlier than a choice was made.

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The brand new inspection regime has been sophisticated by supply-chain points and has required the cautious administration of the fleet to maintain service, together with utilizing single-car trains, Holder’s memo to councillors added.

“Rideau Transit Upkeep has accomplished the mandatory testing and evaluation of the proposed nut pinning resolution,” he mentioned. “OC Transpo and Transportation Useful resource Associates are glad that security necessities have been met and the hub assemblies with the nut pinning resolution can now be deployed to in-service autos.”

Holder added that the rigorous inspections and upkeep necessities within the security notice remained as a “containment measure” till the car provider was assured this system might be amended.

A take a look at practice will function throughout common service hours over the subsequent couple of months to generate extra knowledge for ongoing security assurance, permitting for early detection of potential points.