OC Transpo, mayor won’t rule out O-Train Line 1 shutdown as spalling issue continues on vehicles

A train on Line 1 travels along the tracks to Tunney's Pasture on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, as freezing rain falls. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

OC Transpo and Mayor Mark Sutcliffe are not ruling out an extended shutdown of O-Train Line 1 in the future, as a spalling defect on the vehicle’s axle assembly continues to force a reduction in service on the east-west transit line.

Single-car service has been running on Line 1 since the spalling issue was first reported by OC Transpo on Jan. 21. OC Transpo has imposed a 100,000 km limit on all cartridge bearing assemblies while the investigation into the issue continues.

Twenty-one vehicles have been in service each week for several weeks, but staff said the number of vehicles in service “fluctuated” last week due fewer vehicles available.

Sutcliffe was asked on Friday about whether the city may need to shut down Line 1 for maintenance in the days and weeks ahead.

“We know we’ve had some challenges with the spalling issues on Line 1, and of course, we have to have contingency plans in place,” Sutcliffe told reporters during a media conference to introduce new OC Transpo general manager Rick Leary.

“There’s a limit of 100,000 km on every vehicle, so, if we reach a point sometime in the future where it’s no longer possible to have enough vehicles in order to provide the service, we may have to look, for a period of time, at using R1. We have to have those contingency plans in place; we plan for all kinds of different eventualities, many of them never come to pass.”

• Ottawa mayor says some improvements made to OC Transpo bus availability

OC Transpo has imposed a 100,0000 limit on the cartridge bearing assemblies, as the transit service works with Rideau Transit Group and Alstom to finalize a “revised containment plan to safely increase vehicle availability,” according to staff.

As of Friday, OC Transpo reported 21 vehicles are below the 100,000 km limit on the cartridge bearing assemblies and are in service.

“The number of vehicles in service has fluctuated this week, and at times customers may have experienced longer wait times and some crowding on trains as a result,” Troy Charter, director of Transit Service Delivery and Rail Operations, said in a memo.

“OC Transpo continues working closely with Rideau Transit Group (RTG) to finalize details of a revised containment plan to safely increase vehicle availability. These conversations have been productive and once finalized, OC Transpo will present details of the containment plan at a technical briefing.”

When asked about a possible shutdown of O-Train Line 1 for maintenance, OC Transpo and City of Ottawa media relations staff directed CTV News Ottawa to the mayor’s comments.

O-Train Line 1 is operating every three to four minutes during the morning and afternoon peak periods.

In July 2024, the O-Train was out of service between Tunney’s Pasture and Rideau Station over a two-week period for maintenance and track work. There were also full and partial closures on O-Train 1 during the fall of 2024 for maintenance work.

In 2023, service on O-Train Line 1 was disrupted for 28 days after an axle-bearing issue was discovered on the LRT vehicles.

Sutcliffe said Leary’s “number one job” is to do a “full assessment” on O-Train Line 1.

“And make recommendations on the best way forward to restoring full service for our passengers,” the mayor said.

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App