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OC Transpo says recent analysis has found unexpected damage on LRT vehicles that is impacting plans to restore full service, something that is now expected by the end of May.
Line 1 has been running with single-car service since January after “spalling” was found in the cartridge bearing assembly that links the axles to the wheels of the train. Spalling means that metal is flaking off inside.
As a result, OC Transpo has been keeping any train with mileage above 100,000 kilometres off the rails.
Trainmaker Alstom and contractor Rideau Transit Group (RTG) have been working on a solution that could allow OC Transpo to lift that restriction, based in part on sensors that can detect vibrations and help catch problems in near real time.
But OC Transpo says contractors found “additional damage” during a teardown of cartridge bearing assemblies. The damage requires RTG and Alstom to implement further mitigation measures, according to a report to council’s transit committee on Thursday.
“The additional damage that was found was spalling and then a more severe spalling that’s called shelling,” said Sabrina Pasian, OC Transpo’s chief safety officer.
Marko Kroenke, the city’s director of engineering services, explained that shelling is similar to spalling but involves “more depth of damage” with more material flaking off. Shelling has been found on two train cars, OC Transpo said
100K limit to remain
Troy Charter, OC Transpo’s director of transit service delivery and rail operations, said the precautionary measures introduced earlier will remain in place.
“It means at this time the 100,000-kilometre limit cannot be reassessed or removed,” he said.
The report says the number of vehicles available for service is expected to increase over the next six to eight weeks. As of the most recent update, 23 cars were available, fewer than the 26 that OC Transpo needs to provide double-car service.
OC Transpo says the first phase of condition monitoring is expected to start in six to eight weeks, though it could take two to five months to install them on all train cars.
The report says OC Transpo anticipates that replacing cartridge bearing assemblies “may make it possible for full Line 1 capacity to be restored by the end of May.”
OC Transpo was previously hoping to open the LRT east extension to Orléans by the end of June, but Charter confirmed at the meeting on Thursday that the new damage will make that unlikely.
OC Transpo needs additional train cars to begin a formal period of testing known as trial running.
“Yes, there is an impact to trial running,” said Charter. “It doesn’t appear that Q2 is achievable.”