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OC Transpo reported slight improvements to its bus and train problems Friday, but only about 30 per cent of Line 1 train cars are operational, while five per cent of scheduled bus trips are not occurring.<\/p>\n
This week, OC Transpo reduced Line 1 light rail service<\/a> until further notice after maintainer Rideau Transit Group (RTG) detected \u201cspalling\u201d inside the cartridge bearing assemblies that connect axles to the wheels.<\/a> That means metal is flaking off inside, raising the chances of cracking and failure.<\/p>\n Normally Line 1 has 13 two-car trains in service during peak periods, according to interim transit general manager Troy Charter. Now, four or five of those trains will consist of a single car.<\/p>\n The reduced service has resulted in large numbers of riders on trains at times, but the crowding hasn\u2019t become unsafe, Charter said. <\/p>\n OC Transpo is now planning to boost frequencies to pick up more passengers. Trains will be running every three to four minutes during peak periods on Friday, with normal Line 1 service every 10 minutes over the weekend.<\/p>\n Just 18 Line 1 train cars, or “vehicles,” remain in service, while 41 require work on their problem assemblies, Charter said.<\/p>\n That means about 70 per cent of the fleet is not available.<\/p>\n At least some of those vehicles are needed to prepare for the extension of the LRT to the east and west, Charter said during a news conference on Friday. Last fall, OC Transpo said opening the link to Orl\u00e9ans was achievable by the end of this March<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s too early to tell whether the current issues with the cartridge bearing assemblies will affect that timeline, Charter said.<\/p>\n City to hold contractor accountable<\/p>\n Twenty trains should be in service by Monday, Charter said, without providing a timeline for a return to normal service, which requires 26 cars.<\/p>\n To deal with the spalling problem, OC Transpo is asking its maintainer RTG to replace any assemblies that have racked up more than 100,000 kilometres.<\/p>\n This proactive decision is to ensure there’s no safety risk, Charter said, even though the CEO of trainmaker Alstom Americas recently told Radio-Canada that the problem is not critical. <\/p>\n “Given that we’ve had the derailments… we’re doing our due diligence, we’re speaking with experts, ” Charter said.<\/p>\n It takes about a day to replace two axles, Charter said. Each train has 10 axles, though they can vary in terms of mileage.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re asking them, obviously, to prioritize the ones that require only one axle replacement,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Asked whether the city will be liable for costs, Charter said OC Transpo has a performance-based contract with RTG, which must ensure the trains are up to standard.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re holding them to account to rectify the issue at their cost and not the city\u2019s,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Alstom is working on a complete redesign of the bearing assembly<\/a>, according to Chater, who said an update on its progress is coming.<\/p>\n January’s bus problems<\/p>\n OC Transpo has also scaled back bus service<\/a> because of a bus shortage this month. Some routes were cancelled days in advance while others were cancelled as people waited in the cold.<\/p>\n![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769203689_641_default.jpg\")
This graphic shows how many vehicles were available for service on Line 1 as of Jan. 23 and how many are not. (City of Ottawa)<\/p>\n