OC Transpo will provide double-car train service on O-Train Line 1 beginning on Monday, January 8. Double-car trains will operate on weekdays. The larger trains will accommodate customer volumes during the busiest times on the system, improving customer comfort. Trains will operate approximately every five to six minutes. The move to double-car trains is due to a new measure that extends the life of the wheel hub assemblies on the vehicles while continuing to ensure the ongoing safe operation of the fleet.
At the joint Transit Commission and Light Rail Subcommittee meeting on December 14, 2023, an update was provided on a proposal to add pins to the restraining nut on the axle hubs to extend their useable life. Axle hub assemblies are currently required to be replaced every 60,000 km as part of the containment plan outlined in the Alstom Safety Note. This has been complicated by supply chain issues and required the careful management of the fleet to sustain service, including the use of single-car trains.
Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) has completed the necessary testing and analysis of the proposed nut pinning solution. OC Transpo and Transportation Resource Associates (TRA) are satisfied that safety requirements have been met and the hub assemblies with the nut pinning solution can now be deployed to in-service vehicles. This added measure allows for the immediate return to double-car trains on Line 1.
The rigorous inspections and maintenance requirements in Alstom’s Safety Note remain as a containment measure until the vehicle supplier is confident the program can be amended. In addition, a test train will operate during regular service hours over the next couple of months to gather additional data for ongoing safety assurance. This testing allows for early detection of potential issues. Customers may occasionally see this out-of-service test train on Line 1.
Further information and updates on the ongoing work to improve train reliability will be shared as it becomes available.
