All trains on Ottawa's Confederation Line LRT have been stopped and all stations have been closed because of a bearing issue that was discovered during a routine inspection.
You’re correct about the longer cars needing wider turns.
Really the biggest problem with the LRT is trying to make it an LRT after the tunnel was built. It’s really a metro system with the wrong type of train. Every other North American city with an “LRT” has a system where the centre goes thru downtown at grade usually in mixed traffic (I think, feel free to correct me.) Our system doesn’t, it’s fully grade separated the entire time, so why continue to use tram trains? Our trains are low floor which is great when you can’t build a tall platform downtown in the middle of the street. But when it’s grade separated you’re really limiting capacity as the wheels go into the cars taking up seating and standing space.
It annoys the crap out of me that our city is continuing to use these fucking trains. I wish they either sold the trains and adjusted all the stations to high platforms and used real metro trains, or kept them and used them on a real tram system (maybe along Baseline or Carling, or up and down Bank St?)
Sorry for the long post, the trains just bug me a lot, altho I’m greatful we have something and at least have the tunnel. The hard part is done, rails and stations and trains can be fixed. (Maybe not with this mayor however.)
It would probably help a lot, even if the trains had the same top speed AND acceleration being able to go around tighter corners would help a ton. There’s a lot of weird turns in the system, especially Lees - Hurdman - Tremblay. Hurdman - Tremblay is actually where it derailed for a month or so.
Here’s what it looks like currently:
and I understand why they wanted it to go to Hurdman, it’s a large bus station.
But I wish instead it looked like this:
Then maybe they could have made some a busway where the tracks are now and maybe make Tremblay’s LRT station underground and then on the ground it’s a bus loop.
You’re correct about the longer cars needing wider turns.
Really the biggest problem with the LRT is trying to make it an LRT after the tunnel was built. It’s really a metro system with the wrong type of train. Every other North American city with an “LRT” has a system where the centre goes thru downtown at grade usually in mixed traffic (I think, feel free to correct me.) Our system doesn’t, it’s fully grade separated the entire time, so why continue to use tram trains? Our trains are low floor which is great when you can’t build a tall platform downtown in the middle of the street. But when it’s grade separated you’re really limiting capacity as the wheels go into the cars taking up seating and standing space.
It annoys the crap out of me that our city is continuing to use these fucking trains. I wish they either sold the trains and adjusted all the stations to high platforms and used real metro trains, or kept them and used them on a real tram system (maybe along Baseline or Carling, or up and down Bank St?)
Sorry for the long post, the trains just bug me a lot, altho I’m greatful we have something and at least have the tunnel. The hard part is done, rails and stations and trains can be fixed. (Maybe not with this mayor however.)
Would this also make the LRT go faster? I always thought it was going to be much faster. Instead it crawls at 30 klicks in that S-bend.
It would probably help a lot, even if the trains had the same top speed AND acceleration being able to go around tighter corners would help a ton. There’s a lot of weird turns in the system, especially Lees - Hurdman - Tremblay. Hurdman - Tremblay is actually where it derailed for a month or so.
Here’s what it looks like currently:
and I understand why they wanted it to go to Hurdman, it’s a large bus station.
But I wish instead it looked like this:
Then maybe they could have made some a busway where the tracks are now and maybe make Tremblay’s LRT station underground and then on the ground it’s a bus loop.
Source for maps: https://otrain.railfans.ca/system-map
Vancouver’s ALRT uses the old CP tunnel downtown that goes through a large arc to the waterfront and the old CP passenger rail station.