East Line 1 extension delayed after OC Transpo discovers new LRT damage
by Aeden Helmer
Published Apr 09, 2026 • Last updated 13 hours ago
OC Transpo officials acknowledged they were considering a full shutdown of the O-Train Line 1 as a contingency plan after a technical analysis revealed “additional damage” to the cartridge bearing assemblies on the train car axles.
Union officials earlier said a potential shutdown of Line 1 was a “possibility” as OC Transpo and the Rideau Transit Group continued to search for a solution to the “spalling” issue that had hampered rail service for more than two months.
The transit authority said Thursday the unexpected discovery of a more severe stage of spalling would force a delay in restoring full Line 1 train service until at least the end of May.
The much-anticipated east extension to Orléans will likewise be delayed, with a time frame of two to five months before the next testing phase for the rail extension can begin.
The additional damage is the “most severe” damage OC Transpo has encountered so far, according to director of engineering services Marko Kroenke, and can lead to further deterioration of the bearings.
Kroenke said the spalling — the flaking of the metal surface of the cartridge bearing assembly — had progressed to a more severe form called “shelling” on two vehicles that had exceeded 100,000 kilometres in service.
Analysts found “more depth of damage” and larger flaking on the outer bearings in the two vehicles, Kroenke said.
The recent discovery of shelling means the transit authority will not be able to re-assess or remove the 100,000-kilometre limit and those train cars will remain out of service, according to director of rail operations Troy Charter, who served as interim general manager prior to the appointment of Rick Leary.
Leary was formally introduced to the April 9 transit committee at his first session as general manager and said his top priority was restoring reliable bus and train service.
OC Transpo and RTG discovered the initial spalling during an inspection earlier this year related to a separate issue of “fretting,” which was identified as the cause of the first O-Train derailment in the summer of 2021. The shelling was discovered about two weeks ago, which, Charter acknowledged, was “right around the time” rumours of an LRT shutdown were circulating.
“We needed to plan for that potential eventuality,” Charter said in response to questioning from Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper. “I don’t know how close we were to necessarily doing that (shutdown), but I needed to plan.” River Coun. Riley Brockington said media reports “created a firestorm” in the community after Mayor Mark Sutcliffe acknowledged the potential contingency plan on March 27. During a news conference announcing Leary’s hiring, Sutcliffe said, “We may have to look for a period of time at using R1 (replacement buses)” if OC Transpo reached the point where there were not enough available trains.
OC Transpo first issued a safety order on Jan. 21 and removed all train cars that had exceeded 100,000 kilometres from service for analysis and replacement of the cartridge bearing assemblies. OC Transpo removed 41 train cars from service in January, leading to longer wait times and crowded platforms at O-Train stations. OC Transpo has since returned four train cars to service, with 22 train cars now available on the east-west line, which continued to operate with one car every three to four minutes in peak periods. Full train service is not expected to be restored until the end of May as OC Transpo requires 26 available trains, or 13 double-car trains for full service during peak periods.
Spalling “is not a unique issue to Ottawa,” chief safety officer Sabrina Pasian said. “What is unique here is the frequency and the speed at which it’s propagating.
“Spalling, fretting, and shelling are not uncommon phenomena in the railway industry. What’s uncommon and what needs to be analyzed as part of the root cause analysis is the speed at which we’re seeing that on brand new bearings.”
Charter said the discovery of shelling damage “was not anticipated” when RTG and train manufacturer Alstom performed “tear-downs” and detailed examinations of the cartridge bearing assemblies.
OC Transpo is installing early detection methods with acoustic monitoring onboard trains, “roll-by” inspections in the trainyard and a monitoring system that detects “abnormal” vibrations.
Each train will be outfitted with a “smart bug” system to monitor the conditions in real time, Pasian said.
There will be a “gradual increase” in available Line 1 trains in the next six to eight weeks. It will be a “minimum two to five months” before the condition-monitoring system is installed on the entire fleet.
Charter said the timeline for the eastern extension to Orléans, which had been delayed and rescheduled to the end of June, “is no longer a possibility.”
Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney, the only east-end councillor on the transit committee, urged OC Transpo to complete the extension by September for the busy back-to-school season.
Charter said OC Transpo required 46 trains to perform trial running to the east end while maintaining service on the existing rail line.
Service reliability metrics for Line 1 trains plummeted in recent months, with only 61.8 per cent of trips delivered as planned in March, according to staff. That was down from the 99.5 per cent reliability rate a year earlier.
OC Transpo is also updating its severe weather plan based on forecasted freezing rain after two trains were immobilized for several days in March due to freezing rain.
“We must do better and we need to be able to recover quicker,” Charter acknowledged.
Link to news article from the Ottawa Sun.. Sidenote, didn't know the Ottawa Sun still existed.
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