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A newly identified problem with the wheel assemblies on Ottawa’s Line 1 LRT vehicles is forcing OC Transpo to reduce the number of cars in service, which could exacerbate crowding on trains and platforms during peak periods.
In a memo from interim transit services general manager Troy Charter, OC Transpo said “spalling” — when flakes break off the metal surface inside the axle bearing — was detected on several cartridge bearing assemblies.
The cartridge bearing assembly joins the axle to the wheel, allowing it to roll while supporting the weight of the train.
Charter said if left unaddressed, the spalling could lead to cracks and bearing failure.
The city is removing train cars with bearings that have 100,000 kilometres of mileage “out of an abundance of caution,” Charter wrote in the memo.
Starting Wednesday evening, Line 1 will operate with a combination of single- and double-car trains while maintaining current frequencies. The trains normally have two cars.
OC Transpo said this modified service will continue until the bearing issue has been addressed, and warns that “customers may experience crowding on trains and platforms at times during the morning and afternoon peak periods” as a result.
OC Transpo’s interim general manager Troy Charter explains a new problem that’s causing some train cars to be pulled out of service. Charter says to expect crowding on trains and platforms at peak periods, and says some passengers may have to wait for the next train.
‘This is not acceptable’
“I know that this is a new issue and its impact on our customers is extremely frustrating. While we have seen significant and sustained improvements of the rail system, this is not acceptable,” Charter said during a virtual news conference Wednesday.
Charter said Line 1 trains will have sufficient capacity during most of the day, but during peak periods some customers will need to wait for the next train due to crowding. He said there is no firm timeline for resolving the latest problem.
Normally Line 1 has 13 two-car trains in service during peak periods, Charter said. Now, four or five of those trains will consist of a single car running at the same frequency.
Charter said R1 replacement bus service is not being considered at this time, partly due to a lack of available as the service grapples with an aging fleet.
The wheel assemblies have failed before, causing a derailment in 2021 and forcing a lengthy LRT shutdown in 2023.
Charter identified the latest defect as separate from the one that caused those previous issues.
Passengers running out of patience
“This is pretty devastating news for transit riders,” said Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper, who’s also a member of the city’s transit committee.
The bus shortage and this latest LRT disruption, he said, is “indicative of a severely challenged transit system at the moment.”
“It’s just further incentive for [riders] to try to find alternatives to public transit and that’s bad for the long-term sustainability of this city,” Leiper added.
Laura Shantz, a member of the passenger advocacy group, Ottawa Transit Riders, said this latest setback for Ottawa’s beleaguered LRT system is disappointing.
“We know that bus cancellations have been the real Achilles heel of January 2026 in Ottawa for transit riders, and I think a lot of people just don’t have patience for a train problem on top of that — don’t have patience for another cancellation, another delay,” she said.
She applauded OC Transpo for trying to maintain frequency on Line 1, but said the continuing disruptions are discouraging.
“We’ve heard so much talk … about permanent fixes and about doing things that are going to move the needle in terms of long-term reliability preventing problems,” Shantz said.
“It feels like we haven’t actually gotten that far ahead.”
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