All Confederation Line trains, which had traveled more than 175,000 kilometres, were derailed after an inspection found a “damage” to the hub of one vehicle.
In a Saturday evening memo to Ottawa City Council, transit services general manager Rene Amilcar said the vehicles were taken out of service “for further checks out of an abundance of caution.”
The problem was discovered after an operator reported vibrations in their train, Amilcar said.
In its note, Amilcar said train manufacturer Alstom had already indicated that the failure affected the train’s axle and bearing – but in a different way to the problem that caused an out-of-service train to derail near Tunney’s Pasture station in August 2021.
In this incident, the wheel broke off the axle due to a problem with the bearing, the device mounted at each end of the axle that helps the wheel rotate without resistance.
Amilcar said Alstom and Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) were conducting “extensive tests” to find out what caused the wheel hub failure.
Both have confirmed “verbally and in writing that all trains in service” on the Confederate line are safe, she said.
Train service continues
There are currently 10 trains running on the Confederate line, Amilcar said, stopping roughly every five to six minutes.
Trains will be returned to the line once they are inspected and deemed safe, according to her memo.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has also been notified, Amilcar added. OC Transpo and RTM are expected to provide another update on Tuesday.
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