OTTAWA —
The pinnacle of town’s transit fee is assured 2021 might be a greater yr for the LRT.
High brass at OC Transpo say work to rectify a number of points that plagued the Confederation Line LRT after its 2019 launch is continuing and a few objects at the moment are full.
In a presentation to town’s transit fee on Wednesday morning, Director of Transit Operations Troy Constitution offered an replace on the seven key points the Rideau Transit Group has been working to rectify.
Constitution mentioned the entire new change heaters have been put in on the weekend of Dec. 6 and they’re prepared for the winter.
“We all know the winter is coming. Our subsequent snowstorm is quickly,” Constitution mentioned. “We have all of the work accomplished and we’re monitoring it by means of our management centre and with our discipline workers.”
Change heaters on the east finish of the road at the moment are gasoline powered. That’s the place many of the points final winter got here up.
Responding to a query from Coun. Riley Brockington about how they have been examined with out the requisite winter climate circumstances, Constitution mentioned town put massive items of ice between the change rails and examined to see how rapidly they melted.
“It melts actually quick and that’s a bit of ice. Snow ought to flip to water instantly,” he mentioned.
Talking to reporters after the assembly, Transit Fee Chair Allan Hubley mentioned he is assured the system might be performing a lot better for when ridership returns post-pandemic.
“Up to now so good. I like every little thing I’ve seen up to now,” he mentioned of the work that has been accomplished so far. “I am fairly assured for when ridership goes again up.”
Hubley additionally mentioned the Metropolis’s relationship with RTG and Rideau Transit Upkeep (RTM) has improved.
Constitution advised reporters that having discipline workers monitor the switches throughout snowstorms and different opposed climate occasions would additionally permit points to be addressed as they occur.
Work on the issues with the automobile brakes and the overhead energy system is “largely full”, Constitution advised the transit fee, and the Metropolis and RTG at the moment are monitoring circumstances and making seasonal changes as vital.
Constitution mentioned, since new software program was put in for the practice doorways, there have been few points on the road, and what points have come up have been rectified inside a couple of minutes and didn’t result in vital delays.
Nonetheless, OC Transpo ridership stays properly under the degrees that have been seen when the road first launched, due principally to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Software program updates for the auxiliary energy and HVAC system have been put in and are working as meant.
Work on the traction energy points affecting the automobiles’ inductors, line contactors and circuit breakers is full on 29 of 38 automobiles. The remaining work is predicted to be completed within the new yr.
OC Transpo ‘stunned’ by launch of interim TSB report on cracked wheels
Transportation Companies Normal Supervisor John Manconi advised the fee he was stunned the Transportation Security Board of Canada released its interim report on the cracked wheels issue on Tuesday.
“We’re fairly frankly stunned the letter acquired launched the day earlier than transit fee,” Manconi mentioned.
Wheel cracks have been first found this summer season, prompting the TSB investigation.
The report into the TSB’s investigation—that’s ongoing—included a letter despatched to the Metropolis that beneficial dashing up the substitute of the entire wheels on each practice automobile. A number of the jacking screws, that are used to take away the wheels throughout routine upkeep, have been misaligned, which put stress on a number of the wheels, inflicting them to crack. Eight wheels with cracks have been discovered, however the TSB mentioned the difficulty could also be extra widespread than initially thought.
Manconi mentioned, nonetheless, that the letter, dated Nov. 4, 2020, doesn’t mirror the conferences OC Transpo, RTG and the TSB have had within the time because it was despatched.
“What it would not mirror is that we have had quite a few conferences since that letter acquired despatched to us,” Manconi mentioned. “The TSB mentioned, and I quote the lead investigator, they’re supportive of each measure we’re doing. ‘Inform your council the TSB is on the conferences and that they’re supportive of each measure we’re doing.'”
Manconi mentioned that whereas Alstom is changing the entire wheels on each practice automobile, that may solely proceed till specialised tools arrives to readjust the screws. As soon as that tools arrives, Manconi mentioned wheels that stay in good situation won’t have to be totally changed and may as a substitute be fastened and again out on the rail line as regular.
“The query is all the time ‘are we doing every little thing that satisfies all people’s security issues?’ and I’ve heard no objections so far and if there have been any objections from the TSB or anybody at that desk, we’d conform to any of these security professionals and specialists,” Manconi mentioned.
Manconi couldn’t say when the specialised tools would arrive, however did affirm that the Metropolis is just not paying for the wheel substitute course of.
“It isn’t the Metropolis and past that, we do not care,” he mentioned, including that this reveals the good thing about the public-private partnership between the Metropolis and RTG.
