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Friday, 30 January 2026

Ottawa Transit Committee?

 



We have had our transit committees and experts. We have had elections, democracy and due process.

What have we got to show for it?

The average voter is driving now, many have given up. They pay the bills resigned to it, white flags raised.

The solution to the LRT woes is pretty well known now. 

-New heavier duty design for wheels, bearings and axles. 
-better rail bed
-better rails and rail lubrication

Who pays for it? We all will.




Posted by at No comments:

Ottawa LRT.. schlmozzel

 


what does it mean for ottawa lrt when the design of the bearing cassettes, inadequate rail hardness, curves in tracks, insuffient ballast on the track bed and the bogies themselves inadequate for the live loads placed on them?
For the Ottawa LRT, the combination of these technical failures means the system is suffering from a fundamental, ongoing incompatibility between the train design and the track infrastructure. This results in 
excessive, premature wear on wheel assemblies, high risks of derailment, and frequent, reduced service due to the need to take trains out of service for repairs. 
As of January 2026, this has meant roughly 70% of the fleet was taken out of service to replace axle bearings, leading to single-car trains, reduced frequency, and significant passenger crowding. 
Here is what each technical issue means for the system:
  • Inadequate Bearing Cassettes/Bogies & High Live Loads: The bearings, which connect wheels to axles, are failing far earlier than their designed 1.2-million-kilometre lifespan because they cannot handle the high lateral (side-to-side) loads. This "spalling" (metal flaking off) or shearing causes wheel hubs to break and potentially fall off.
  • Curves in Tracks (Tight Radius): The track, particularly in the east end, features sharp curves that generate excessive lateral force on the wheel-rail interface, accelerating the bearing damage.
  • Inadequate Rail Harness & Insufficient Ballast: The track structure (including restraining rails) does not adequately support the train, resulting in "soft tracks" that fail to properly guide the vehicles, causing "kinks" or buckling that further increases stress on the bearings.
  • Consequences for Service:
    • Reduced Service & Crowding: Because of the need to replace axle bearings on many trains, OC Transpo must operate fewer or shorter trains, causing peak-period crowding.
    • "Stop-Gap" Measures: The city has had to implement temporary, non-permanent solutions like increased top-of-rail lubrication, reduced speeds, and the installation of "smart bugs" to detect vibrations.
    • Uncertain Future: These issues require a long-term redesign of the bearing assembly and potentially significant track modifications, which are expected to take years to fully resolve.
    • Safety Risk: The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has warned that these issues pose a risk to safety if left unaddressed. 
  • THis means high insurance costs or uninsurable status.
2:59
CBC·
Jul 22, 2023 — Issues with Ottawa's Line 1 train and rails * What's Failing. Basically a component on the train bogies (the axles and wheels underneath the trains), specifical...
WordPress.com
Aug 2, 2023 — Alstom report points to faulty track design. Last year's public inquiry drew attention to a melange of issues with the creation and maintenance of the system, r...
CBC
Dec 2, 2022 — LRT inquiry commissioner still concerned about wheel and track problems. The misalignment of the train wheels to the Confederation Line track that may have caus...
CBC
Apr 28, 2023 — Instead, Richard Holder said there are hypotheses that restraining rails meant to minimize derailments at curves could be putting force on the axles, or transit...
CBC
May 28, 2024 — Restraining rail adjustments: The Confederation Line includes a third “restraining rail” along its curves that is meant as a safety feature to prevent derailmen...
Ottawa Citizen
Jan 28, 2026 — Comments Section * facetious_guardian. • 1d ago. This wheely is becoming a problem. MarkasaurusRex_19. • 1d ago. It feels like we are going in circles. DessertQ...
Reddit
Jan 23, 2026 — That means metal is flaking off inside, raising the chances of cracking and failure. Normally Line 1 has 13 two-car trains in service during peak periods, accor...
CBC
Feb 15, 2023 — Problematic LRT train parts still pose 'risk to safety,' TSB says. Ottawa. Problematic LRT train parts still pose 'risk to safety,' TSB says. By. Josh Pringle. ...
CTV News
Jul 21, 2025 — It recommends yet another change to the restraining rails. Shifting them to the side might stop them from contacting the wheels, but it won't fix another proble...
CBC
Jan 22, 2026 — Remember how rough that is when you run over it? Now imagine a excessively loaded train wheel bearing once it starts to fail/spall. The bearings rolling element...
Facebook
Oct 12, 2023 — Published: October 12, 2023 at 4:00AM EDT. The issues with the axle hub assembly on Ottawa's light-rail transit vehicles are due to the higher than expected lat...
CTV News
Jul 26, 2023 — Can you decode that for us? A: In the original TSB report, they indicated that the tolerance of play was 0.1mm which is really small when you think about it. Wh...
Glen Gower
Jul 24, 2023 — Even discounting the high-profile, long-duration failures, anyone who follows local news accounts can't help but have noticed that, when the system is nominally...
TVO.org
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