OC Transpo plans to begin pre-trial running on the O-Train East Extension into Orléans in early October, but staff are not providing a firm schedule for opening the light-rail transit line between Blair Station and Trim Station. The transit committee received an update on the timeline to open the O-Train East Extension and plans for the 21-day trial running period. Staff say the “final readiness activities” are underway ahead of pre-trial running next month, followed by the mandatory trial running period. “We achieved the milestone this week where eight trains were in operation on the East Extension,” Troy Charter, associate general manager at OC Transpo, told councillors. “Our next step is to consistently operate eight trains on the East Extension, mimicking peak period vehicle requirements, which will be then followed by integrated system exercise where we’ll be running trains all the way from Tunney’s Pasture to Trim Station, operating on a schedule that our operators are scheduled on, booked on.” Charter did not provide a date for the opening of the O-Train East Extension. The pre-trial running would last at least a week, the trial running period will last for a minimum of 21 days, with staff saying another five to 10 days will be required to finalize all documents and the system before it opens. OC Transpo general manager Rick Leary told councillors he was “fearful to make commitments” on when the East Extension could open. “I need to see the outcome of the data on that before I can commit to trial running,” Leary said, adding he won’t be comfortable to provide a timeline on opening until pre-trial testing is underway. Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney suggested the O-Train system could open to passengers in November. East-West Connectors achieved substantial completion on March 4, but the 21-day trial running period has been delayed due to a shortage of available vehicles available due to a spalling issue with the cartridge bearing assembly. The O-Train East Extension will extend O-Train Line 1 from Blair Station to five additional stops in the east end: Montreal, Jeanne d’Arc, Convent Glen, Place d’Orléans and Trim stations. Trains are running on the O-Train East Extension without passengers as part of the process to “exercise the system.” “From an operations perspective, we want to be running the system. We want to run. We want to run,” Charter said. “It’s exercising that functionality with our teams and with our maintainer. With the increasing train availability, we’ve been leveraging the time to advance our readiness activities.” Director of Rail Operations Richard Holder told councillors the readiness program is focusing on identifying challenges and increasing familiarity with the system, expanding train operations and “thoroughly exercising the integrated system.” As part of the final preparations for the 21-day trial run, OC Transpo will operate trains along the full Line 1 between Tunney’s Pasture and Trim stations to “ensure new and existing systems are properly integrated,” according to staff. Riders will still ride Line 1 trains between Tunney’s Pasture and Blair stations, but you will need to disembark the trains at Blair Station before the train heads east. A report for the transit committee says the trial running plan has been developed and covers all “key requirements, dependencies and readiness activities.” “As part of preparations for Trial Running, additional readiness exercises are being undertaken to practice and validate operational responses to rail diversion scenarios that could occur in the East Extension,” the report said. “These exercises include scenarios such as immobilized trains and when service can only continue on one track and launch and reduction of vehicles based on planned service levels.” Leary told CTV News Ottawa in August he expects O-Train service to launch for the public “later on this year.” 100,000 limit lifted One of the reasons for the delay in launching the O-Train East Extension is vehicle availability due to the kilometre limit on the vehicles. OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Maintenance have started lifting the 100,000 km limit on the cartridge bearing assemblies on the O-Train vehicles as so-called “smart bugs” are installed on the vehicles. Charter say 50 trains have had the conditioning monitoring systems installed. “As monitoring system is installed, 100,000-kilometre limit on cartridge bearing assemblies are lifted,” staff said. The limit was imposed on the cartridge bearing assemblies in January after spalling was discovered on vehicles. Damage at Moodie Station Contractors will begin removing damaged infrastructure on O-Train Line 1 near Moodie Station following the Canada Day flooding. The heavy rain on July 1 caused significant damage between Moodie Station and the Corkstown Yard maintenance storage facility. OC Transpo general manager Rick Leary told the transit committee that the infrastructure and equipment need to be assessed, and it’s a “detailed process that takes time.” “While there is significant damage in certain areas of the West Extension, we are following a phased approach to ensure our response is coordinated, mitigates impacts to the overall project, and where possible, and builds a more resilient system in the long term,” Leary said. “In the short term, a detailed assessment of the flood impacts will be completed, and a review of next steps as well will be completed. This detailed assessment will provide more information on next steps, and the review will also consider improvements to the original design, identifying built infrastructure that may need to be redesigned, operational measures to protect rail infrastructure.” Leary says damaged infrastructure and equipment will begin to be removed. “EWC will start to rebuild and replace damaged infrastructure, and our team will be looking at ways to increase resiliency of the system where needed,” Leary said. “In the long term, we’re going to continue to work with other city departments, including the infrastructure and water services, to look at ways to increase the overall system resiliency to extreme weather events, so that we are better prepared in the future.”
