As most Ottawa residents know, and all transit users know, the City of Ottawa is currently experiencing a very challenging situation with both buses and the LRT. I wanted to provide an explanation of the key issues, and answer some of the most frequent questions.
Lack of buses
The current issues with the lack of buses are two-fold, the first is a lack of buses due to delay of delivery of the buses that have been ordered, and the other is a shortage of mechanics to repair the buses that we do have.
I recognize that this situation is unacceptable and deeply frustrating. Many have asked about this situation, the following is a list of common questions. OC Transpo has included a section on their website to update users on their action plan : Bus Service Delivery Action Plan | OC Transpo.
- Is this all because OC Transpo does not have enough funding?
No. OC Transpo senior management has repeatedly informed Council that no amount of money could currently fix the situation. The issues are due to supply chain, labour, and mechanical issues.
- If it’s not about money, then why have some bus routes been cut recently?
There are currently not enough buses to service the city. Currently, OC Transpo has 738 buses in its fleet. Right now, approximately 30% of the fleet is out of service. This is because many of our buses have exceeded their useful lifespan and require maintenance to keep them on the road. To meet daily service levels, 520 buses are needed on the road. Currently, we have approximately 500 on the road. It is for this reason that over 250 daily trips have been cancelled until the situation is stabilized- by proactively cancelling the trips, it helps to minimize the on-street cancellations that happen when buses are unavailable.
- Why do we have a shortage of buses and when are we getting new ones?
In 2023, the City of Ottawa ordered 350 zero-emission buses (ZEB). Although buses usually take a year or so to arrive, in this case only 30 have arrived due to supply-chain issues that are plaguing all of North America. Both the Canada and United States offered incentives for ordering ZEBs, and the supply chain has not been able to keep up. It is expected that 110 ZEBs will arrive by the end of April 2026, with 234 total by the end of 2026.
- Can we not purchase used buses?
Ottawa has been working with other cities to identify if they have used buses in their fleets that can be used and, a result of this search, we have sourced 11 buses from Kitchener-Waterloo and staff are connecting with other jurisdictions to see what is available. Staff began the search last summer, however as these shortages are industry wide, what we are finding is that many other cities are in the same position.
- If we have over 700 buses and only need 500, why can’t the buses get fixed quicker?
In addition to the shortage of buses, there is currently a shortage of qualified mechanics to get the buses back out on the roads.
- There are a lot of mechanics, how is OC Transpo recruiting?
Not all mechanics are eligible to work on OC Transpo buses. To work on the buses, a 310 T certification is required, which is a Truck and Coach Technician. The program to obtain this certification is a three-and-a-half-year program. OC Transpo is actively advancing a robust recruitment strategy to address the shortage of licensed 310T mechanics to increase bus service reliability. Efforts include targeted advertising campaigns across digital platforms, radio, social media, and transit and city billboards, along with refreshed job postings and employer branding on the City’s careers website. The campaign promotes, among other advantages of a career with OC Transpo, updated wage rates, shift premiums, and benefits.
Recruitment staff are also using proactive sourcing tools to directly reach qualified technicians and are hosting virtual hiring events to speed up engagement. Outreach has expanded to military transition programs, post-secondary institutions, regional job fairs, and industry networks to attract both local and out-of-town talent. These focused efforts are generating strong interest, with applicant response to mechanic and other hard-to-fill skilled trades roles notably higher than in previous years, helping to grow the candidate pool and accelerate hiring into these critical frontline maintenance positions.
To enhance recruitment for this program, OC Transpo also initiated an in-house training program two years ago. Soon, six new mechanics will graduate
LRT Line 1 Issue
Recently, as part of their ongoing investigation and analysis of the previously identified axle bearing assembly issue, Rideau Transit Group (RTG) notified OC Transpo that spalling was detected on several Cartridge Bearing Assemblies (CBAs). While RTG has maintained that the system is safe to operate, critical information remains to be provided by RTG. As a result, and after a careful review and close collaboration with the Transportation Resource Associates (TRA), the City has provided a Safety Order to RTG requiring that any vehicle with CBAs with 100,000 kilometres or more of mileage be removed from service, and the CBA units replaced. OC Transpo is taking this step from an abundance of caution so that customers and employees can be assured that the train fleet is safe.
OC Transpo is closely monitoring the mileage on CBAs, and anticipates that as replacements occur, more vehicles may become available for service.
How does this impact riders?
Line 1 hours of operation will remain the same, with increased frequency (every 3 to 4 minutes) at peak hours. Because single-car trains will be deployed, customers may experience crowding on trains and platforms at times during the morning and afternoon peak periods.
The Transit Operations Control Centre will monitor the system in real-time and adjust where possible. Lines 2 and 4 trains are not affected by this issue, and service will continue as normal.
It is important to note that all trains currently operating on Line 1 are deemed to be safe for customers and staff.
The LRT Action plan has three goals: ongoing safety assurance process, increasing service for customers, and stable, safe and reliable service.
How many LRT vehicles are available?
As of January 27, 18 vehicles are available for service. The minimum number of vehicles required for regular peak service is 26 vehicles. The number of vehicles in service will fluctuate for a variety of reasons, such as planned regular preventative maintenance or unplanned short-term corrective work.
If RTG says it’s safe to use, why did OC Transpo pull the vehicles?
OC Transpo is prioritizing safety. While RTG provided the city with documentation from its subcontractor Alstom stating that the fleet was safe to operate, appropriate technical information was not provided. Out of an abundance of caution, OC Transpo pulled the vehicles to be inspected.
The City has required that vehicles with CBAs with 100,000 km of mileage cannot continue in service until they are replaced or the City receives supporting information. Additional technical and safety assurance information must also be provided.
Is this the same issue from before?
This is a separate issue from the axle bearing assembly issue previously identified. The initial issue was fretting when frequent contact caused a loss of preload, which in turn led to the failure of the CBA. This new issue is spalling, which will be explained below.
What is spalling?
Spalling is caused when flakes break off the metal surface inside the axle bearing, creating pits that grow over time.
Once spalling has occurred, the bearing will continue to deteriorate unless detected and replaced. As spalling progresses, it increases vibration, noise and leads to increased operating temperature. If it is not contained, spalling will cause damage to components of the bearing and if undetected, it can lead to a bearing failure.
In this case, spalling was found inside the axle bearing, causing damage to either the outside surface of the inner race of the bearing or the inside surface of the outer race (as depicted in the image below). The rate of deterioration in CBAs on our fleet has not yet been evaluated.
Spalling is a newly documented issue in our fleet and will now need to be assessed and reviewed further against the original CBA fretting issue. At this time, it is too early to detect what, if any, impact spalling will have on the overall sustainable solution.
How was this issue found?
As part of their ongoing investigation and analysis of the previously identified axle bearing assembly issue, RTG detected spalling on several CBAs and notified OC Transpo. Currently, spalling has only been detected on 8 out of 24 CBAs that have been inspected. All CBAs with spalling had been run for over 100,000 kilometres.
Will taxpayers be paying for this?
RTG is responsible for ensuring the vehicles and infrastructure operates well. This will be their cost, not the City’s.
Will this affect the Line 1 East End Extension?
It is too early to determine what impacts, if any, on the O-train East Extension. However, OC Transpo has assured us the work on the East End Extension is not meant to be delayed and, at this time, there is no impact.
A more fulsome update on this project is expected at the next Transit Committee meeting on February 12.
When will all the Line 1 vehicles be back in service?
As of right now, there is no timeline for when the vehicles will be back in service. Staff have said they are limited to replacing up to two axels per day, however not every axel will have the same mileage, so not every axel will need replacement.