Tunnel Problems Restrict O-Train Service
This is a release from the City of Ottawa:
This memo is to provide the Mayor and Members of Council with an update on the St Laurent tunnel and O-Train Line 1 service for Tuesday, October 29.
OC Transpo and Infrastructure and Water Services Department (IWSD) are working in agile mode to respond to the area of concern identified on the south side of the tunnel during the ongoing Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM) inspection of the aging structure. IWSD and OC Transpo are working together to finalize a mitigation measure in this location to ensure ongoing, safe operation of the O-Train. As a result, Line 1 will continue to operate on one track out of an abundance of caution.
This morning, when Line 1 begins operation, customers can expect the following: • Line 1 will continue to only service the St-Laurent Station westbound platform • Line 1 will operate approximately every 15 minutes between Blair and St-Laurent stations
• Customers travelling to Cyrville Station from Blair Station should use Line 1 • Customers will need to change trains at St-Laurent Station to continue their trip • Trains will operate approximately every five to six minutes between Tunney’s
Pasture and St-Laurent stations during the morning and evening peak period • Starting at 6 am, R1 bus service will operate between Blair and St-Laurent stations to provide additional capacity for customers
• Shuttle Express buses (E1) will continue to operate between Blair Station and downtown
An update on the implementation plan and timelines for the resumption of full Line 1 service will be provided today.
OC Transpo thanks customers for their patience as we work to ensure the ongoing safe operations of the O-Train.
Regular updates are being provided to transit customers through various communications channels, including customer alerts, octranspo.com, social media, and signage at Line 1 stations. Customers can use the Transit App or call 613-560-5000 for assistance to plan trips in advance.
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They had all night and neither this memo or their tweets are clear.
15 headway from Blair to St Laurent.
Time to transfer and crossover then 5 or 6 minute headway on to Tunneys.
They will never wean the east off E1 shuttle with all the issues and slow zones from St Laurent through UOttawa.
What is the age of the tunnel: “inspection of the aging structure.”
If it was built for the LRT it is only a few years old. Am I wrong?
Andrew,
The tunnel was part of the Transitway and so built decades ago.
Is the use of the phrase “aging structure” intended to soften people up for the forthcoming news that the tunnel is kaput and needs to be replaced with a price tag of many millions of dollars and the ensuing disruption to LRT service?
How would they deal with that entire station being taken out of service for, potentially, years to be rebuilt? Would they have to run two legs of the eastbound line with bus service in the middle from, say, Hurdman to Blair? How will that affect uptake on the new LRT section east of Blair? Will people be willing to, for example, take a bus to Jeanne d’Arc, take the train to Blair, change to a bus to Hurdman and then get back on the train with possibly another bus segment at the other end to get to their destination?
In that particular location with the Queensway on one side and St. Laurent Shopping Centre on the other, there’s not really any room to put a temporary line to bypass the station. That option may also not make financial sense.