By Canadian Press

Ottawa’s LRT line leaves thousands out in the cold during heavy snowstorm

Feb 27, 2020 | 11:15 AM

OTTAWA — Many transit riders in Ottawa were left out in the cold during a heavy snowstorm after serious power issues on the city’s beleaguered new light-rail system ground service to a snail’s pace Thursday.

The system needs 13 trains to run at full service, but at some points during the morning rush hour only six were capable of making the trip — leaving thousands of passengers with a lengthy and crowded commute.

The breakdowns, which started Wednesday evening, meant some transit riders had to leave the trains and move onto the tracks to complete their journey to the nearest station on foot.

Ottawa’s LRT system has been plagued with problems since full service began last October, hindered by issue after issue with the train infrastructure and overhead wires.

Rideau Transit Group CEO Peter Lauch denied the winter storm had anything to do with the latest problems.

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He pointed to a damaged power line and ongoing issues with the train’s power inductors, which often fail when exposed to the elements.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2020.

The Canadian Press