OTTAWA, Ontario — Ottawa’s recently opened light rail Confederation Line experienced major operating issues because of jammed doors on Wednesday, with some passengers reportedly walking more than two miles to reach work as they abandoned the backed-up rail system.
It was the second straight day the rail line was plagued by jammed doors on the light-rail trains, the CBC reports. The issues reportedly began about 8 a.m. when a passenger running for a train tried prying a door open at one station; a similar incident soon after at another station helped extend delays until after 9:30 a.m.
At a Wednesday afternoon press conference, John Manconi, Ottawa’s general manager of transportation services, explained that doors on the light rail trainsets have safety sensors that lock the doors open when they unsuccessfully try to close three times, or if a rider tries to hold them open. He said Alstom, which built the equipment, will check the fleet to determine the sensors were properly calibrated. He also said transit agency OC Transpo would consider increasing station dwell time, and would have more employees at stations reminding riders how to use trains.
Manconi said OC Transpo was not blaming customers for the problem, but mayor Jim Watson called for “punitive measure” for people who attempt to pry doors open, the CBC reported.
The 12.5-kilometer (7.8-mile) Confederation Line opened Sept. 14, but this is the first week it is operating without parallel bus service, which ran for a three-week transitional period. The line opened more than a year late because of construction issues [see “Ottawa rail line ‘essentially complete,’ contractor says,” Trains News Wire, July 23, 2019], and some passengers caught in Wednesday’s problems show that the line was still opened before it was ready.
