Is LRT Root-Cause Issue A Cover-Up? BENN

What is the root cause of the failure to disclose the root cause of the LRT derailments?

Ottawa’s Confederation Line LRT has suffered a few derailments over the past six years. The Transportation Safety Board’s experts identified a number of contributing factors. The primary culprit was thought to be the axle hub assemblies, based on the physical failure of one or more axle assemblies immediately after a train left a station. However, per the TSB, the axle hub assemblies provided by Alstom for their trains meet specifications. Having said that, OC Transpo as operator, and RTG, the LRT maintenance contractor, have made a point of replacing the axle hub assemblies on a far more frequent basis than the manufacturer’s recommended schedule. In a preponderance of caution, they say. This translates into materially higher costs than were contemplated in RTG’s successful maintenance contract. Nor would those be part of the costs contemplated by Alstom in their contract to supply the train cars.

Is it even remotely possible that the city does not want to reveal why they have not revealed the root cause of the axle hub failures? To assign a definitive root cause is to assign blame. To assign blame is to assign responsibility. To assign responsibility is to assign to costs. To assign costs is expensive to the party found to be responsible.

The city has intimated that there are ongoing efforts to settle a number of legal matters, disputes that are a level below a filed statement of claim, associated with the over-budget disaster that is Stage 1 of the Confederation Line. The one Watson boasted as having iron-clad fixed-price contracts. The one that then Watson constantly referred to as “on-time, on-budget” until he suddenly stopped uttering those beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt false statements.

The city has stated that it does not want to discuss the details because it might prejudice their legal position. The city does not even want to discuss the number or nature of the legal matters. Legal matters about who covers the north of $300-million incremental cost linked to the Rideau Street sinkhole. Not to be confused with the legal matters to cover the extra costs associated with two less dramatic, as in no international video coverage, sinkholes elsewhere along the Confederation Line. Not to be missed in all of this is the ongoing open sewer smells in the tunnel in the vicinity of Parliament Station. Or the annual ‘regular’ two-week-ish shutdown to reseal grouting in the tunnel.

It is clear that the city does not want to discuss the Confederation Line. Period. Full stop. Why?

Is it because the LRT is embarrassing? Come now, councillors. Since when is avoiding embarrassment a legitimate excuse for avoiding governing in an open, transparent and accountable manner?

Is it because council is worried that the city has not adequately disclosed hundreds of millions of dollars of contingent liabilities in the city’s financial statements? Something that a business whose shares are listed on a public stock exchange, such as the Toronto Stock Exchange would be required to disclose.

How many legal matters are there involving some or all of the relevant parties, notably the City of Ottawa, Rideau Transit Group, and Alstom regarding the root cause of the LRT derailments? Is it remotely possible that the city has agreed with its LRT partners to keep these legal matters out of the public realm in an effort to not inflame their already tenuous relationships?

So many questions. So few answers. A council that took its role seriously would make that information public. If for no other reason than to meet the minimum standard of best practices governance being open, transparent and accountable.

Ron Benn, a finance executive, has been a member of the Centrepointe Community Association for the better part of three decades.

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