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.
Ottawa Transit Riders
ReplyDeleteOttawa Transit Riders / Le groupe des usagers de transport en commun d'Ottawa https://share.google/FEenyeqKoUU6ZXDiR
https://manifestomultilinko2.wordpress.com/2023/01/19/revisiting-ottawas-2009-rail-system-selection/
ReplyDeleteIts all bad news
ReplyDeleteDesign a workable solution, implement the new design.
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