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As Ottawa’s troubled Confederation Line returns to full service after being partially knocked off line by a reasonably routine freezing rain storm, the town’s director of transit operations, Troy Constitution, answered our questions on what when incorrect and what occurred to the overhead catenary system (OCS).

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Are you able to clarify precisely what occurred to trigger the trains to cease?

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The ice construct up through the climate occasion was inflicting some arcing and the arcing is brought about when the pantograph — that piece of the prepare that presses up in opposition to the overhead wire that gives the ability — loses contact infrequently and that causes the arcing. I’m not saying that was the foundation explanation for the incidence, however positively the arcing and the climate have been main components…. Water and electrical energy don’t combine.

The investigation has to seek out out why we had issues in that particular space and never in different space. This isn’t the primary time we had an ice occasion and it’s the primary time we’ve had this type of drawback. There’s a number of excellent questions that should be solved.

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The place the trains stopped, is that the place’s the reasonably sharp curve within the tracks?

Sure. The issue was all within the Lees to Hurdman space. The curve begins west of Tremblay into Hurdman after which down into Lees, and after that you simply’re going up hill a bit to uOttawa.

You stated you used a particular attachment known as a winter carbon strip to attempt to clear the ice. Are you able to clarify what that’s.

Once we go into the winter season was equip a sure variety of autos with these ice scrapers or winter carbon strips they usually’re designed to extend the contact between the pantograph and the OCS. They’re a bit extra aggressive so they assist to clear issues off the OCS.

You don’t wish to put them on on a regular basis and also you don’t wish to put them on each prepare as a result of it does improve the damage and tear on the OCS, so it’s a little bit of a balancing act.

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It sounds prefer it’s a bit like utilizing a automotive scraper to clear your home windows.

Just about. You need to use that as an analogy. Clearly, in the event you’re scraping you’re taking away a bit little bit of the life off the OCS. We’re not speaking years, however you wish to handle your sources as greatest you may.

What could be accomplished to forestall the ice construct up. Does the OCS generate warmth or are you able to apply warmth to it?

They’re not heated, however these are issues which are being checked out. As soon as we get issues again to regular we’ll be taking a look at a complete slew of choices to forestall a reoccurrence of this. Heating the OCS is without doubt one of the issues that might be checked out.

What about deicing liquids?

You wish to be sure it’s not corrosive. Glycol they use on planes, so that will be OK. And we do use a few of these pretreat liquids on our switches and swap heaters already. That is without doubt one of the issues that might be investigated as nicely.

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All choices are on the desk proper now, however these two — heating the strains or making use of deicer — are the primary ones. We actually should determine what was distinctive about this particular occasion and at this particular location as a result of we’ve had different occasions that have been no drawback and we’re persevering with to run within the east and west with no subject.

Did the freezing rain have an effect on the tracks in any respect. Was that a part of the issue?

It’s important to pay particular consideration to your switches and swap heaters, however we didn’t have any subject with the tracks. The trains working often maintain the tracks clear. This was actually remoted as an OCS occasion.

One of many points that’s come up is that with out energy, no trains can transfer and also you couldn’t even use one other prepare to tow the caught trains. Is that one thing you’ll be taking a look at? Having some form of tug you should utilize?

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Sure. Undoubtedly a part of the de-brief. I do know they’ve some diesel tools that they’ll retrofit with a tow attachment to make use of in future occurrences if they should.

The OCS that broke: Is it an business customary? Is there something uncommon concerning the OCS in Ottawa versus what’s used on LRTs in Edmonton or Kitchener?

I don’t imagine there’s something distinctive to it, however I can’t reply that definitively.

Stage 2 is beneath development. Will it use the identical trains and the identical OCS as Stage 1? Some folks have stated we must always simply put a maintain  on that till all that is resolved. Is that doable?

Sure, it’s the identical trains. There might be some slight variations within the arrange of the OCS, though the distinction received’t be as the results of this occasion. They’re nicely on their manner in development. It’ll be the identical trains and largely the identical OCS

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On the finish of the day, if there are classes discovered that come from this occasion that may be utilized to Stage 2, we’ll take a look at that. However that development exercise wants to maneuver ahead and proceed. We now have been working for a number of years and we’ve already utilized a few of the classes discovered to Stage 2. If there are classes discovered right here, we’ll search for alternatives to use them too.

In his report on the LRT, Justice William Hourigan stated there must be higher co-operation and transparency between everybody concerned, the town, Rideau Transit Upkeep, Rideau Transit Group. Has that been taking place?

Issues have been a lot better this time. By the point the general public inquiry had began we had already improved co-operation and data sharing. However by way of this occasion I feel we’re already at 28 or 29 convention calls with RTM government. We’re actually working collaboratively, the town of Ottawa engineering groups and their engineering groups sharing data. A part of this return to service plan is that we have to overview their information and their inspection reviews and we’re doing all this in actual time in order they’re finishing varied elements of the repairs, they’re delivery data over to us and we’re having joint data periods. It’s been very, excellent co-operation. We’ve been having conferences all by way of the evening and into the day. Everyone seems to be sharing data and everybody’s focus is a secure resumption of service as quickly as doable.”