O-Train Line 1 - Service Outage - July 25, 2022

Due to a severe thunderstorm in the overnight hours of July 24th to the 25th 2022, O-Train Line 1 has suffered some damage and has resulted in the suspension of service from St-Laurent to Tunney's Pasture Stations.

We visited the area where the damage occurred. This area starts from just past the western curve out of Hurdman and stretches to just around the O-Train overpass over Greenfield Avenue (near Lees and King Edward). The damage is mainly on the eastbound side of the guideway and affects the OCS or Overhead Catenary System (the overhead wire that supplies power to the train).

There are two cables on each side of the guideway. The upper cable is there to help support the lower contact wire which is energized and supplies the power to the train. From approximately just west of Hurdman and all the way to the Greenfield Avenue overpass, the lower energized wire appears to be missing. In addition, the upper messenger support cable has snapped or broken from the point of the Rideau River bridge (on the Lees side), and extends to the east side of the Queensway underpass. As that support cable is broken and is under tension, works appear to have installed some chains (at both of these points) to help retain that cable, so that it doesn't get further pulled back the other way and cause further damage. In addition, some of the cantilevers (arms that protrude from the OCS support towers to support the cables) are broken, while others are being pulled east or west along the line, due to the lack of tension from the missing/broken cables.

There is also a stopped LRV pair (1102 & 1147), immobilized just across from TPSS #4 (Traction Power Sub-Station), which is located near the Greenfield Avenue/Mann Avenue intersection (and across from the Minto Rec centre of uOttawa). Each LRV has a pantograph and the pantograph on 1147 has clear signs of having been twisted and bent. The flat contact plate of the pantograph has broken off and is not visible. In regards to the second LRV 1102, I can not comment on the status of the pantograph as it is not visible at all (it is either intact and lowered, or has suffered damage).

While there is a lengthy section of OCS that will need repairs, it doesn't look too substantial and might only involve several days to complete the repairs. However, once more official information becomes available and the true scope of damage is understood, the time required to be able to complete repairs could be higher. During the visit, Alstom technicians were present and working near the stopped LRVs.

Once an official update is provided we should know more of the cause and repair timeline that will result.

********DISCLAIMER******** 

I am not a rail expert, I am a rail and transit enthusiast, transit rider and resident of Ottawa. These are my thoughts and comments from visual observation only of the O-Train guideway area affected.

Official Memo outlining the issues and the service restoration plan.