‘AND IF YOUR TRAIN’S ON TIME ... ’
Confederation Line nears ‘last clip’
Here’s the most understated “wow” feature of the Confederation Line LRT: It will have the longest escalator associated with a transit system in Canada. It wasn’t until Tuesday that this even came up.
John Manconi, the city’s general manager of transportation, told the finance and economic development committee that the escalator is being installed in Rideau Station, whose LRT platform is 26.5 metres underground.
Manconi delivered his monthly update on LRT construction to the committee. The city is on track to start LRT service in November, but Manconi continued to warn council members that the system needs to clear important tests.
1
Long escalator is one straight shot underground
The long escalator will be about 35.3 metres long, with a rise of 15.8 metres, and have 181 steps.
Steve Cripps, the city’s LRT construction director, noted the Rideau Station is the deepest station in the tunnel. The escalator will move transit riders between the concourse level and the surface at Rideau Street and Sussex Drive. It’s one single escalator and not split up into segments.
Mayor Jim Watson wanted assurances the escalators at surface-level stations won’t run into major problems during an Ottawa winter.
Manconi said the escalators are covered from the elements, but the main challenge is usually dealing with grit and salt getting into the stairs. Escalators need a lot of attention and it’s up to the Rideau Transit Group (RTG) to maintain them, he said.
RTG, the city’s LRT builder, has done plenty of weather testing on the infrastructure, Manconi said, but he acknowledged the escalators are the ones to monitor.
(In case of breakdowns, there is a regular stairway.)
2
New construction director takes over LRT build
Manconi, always keen to manage council’s expectations, said he makes no assurances the LRT system will open in November, although the city is still planning to receive the keys on Nov. 2.
“I can’t give you that guarantee based on where we are right now,” Manconi said.
Manconi said he and Cripps met with RTG recently. A new RTG construction director, from consortium partner SNCLavalin, has taken over the build, Manconi said.
RTG’s “mission” is to meet the Nov. 2 handoff and the consortium is feeling the pressure, he said.
Manconi said he won’t guarantee the Nov. 2 handoff until he sees evidence to support the timeline.
Watson said he’s confident RTG will meet the November deadline.
“I’m certainly putting pressure on them to ensure we meet that deadline because there’s a financial disincentive for them not meeting the deadline,” Watson said.
3
Train control systems still top of mind
Manconi continued to highlight the importance of testing the train controls; that is, the system that automatically runs the trains and connects them to the track signals.
He’s still waiting for proof that the control system will be ready for Nov 2.
“I just haven’t seen the evidence to say we’re in good shape,” Manconi said, but he was pleased to see a train drive through the tunnel recently to the west end of the LRT line.
The train control system has to be working perfectly for the city to run the trains.
4
Surface work will continue during the summer
There’s still plenty of surfacelevel construction work happening downtown. The public should expect to see work continue over the summer.
The major work happening on Rideau Street, in front of The Bay, is a huge vent shaft. Work also continues on the Rideau Station east entrance and associated Bank of Nova Scotia construction on Rideau Street beside the pedestrian walkway to Waller Street. The city is trying to minimize the hoarding in the section of Rideau Street.
Work on vent shafts is also happening on Queen Street, which is closed at O’Connor Street. Construction on the LRT “showcase” street is scheduled to last through the summer.
Both construction areas are on schedule, Cripps said.
5
‘Last clip’ ceremony Friday
The city will have a “last spike” moment on Friday when it connects the final piece of rail on the eastbound track.
“Essentially all the track is laid except the last short piece in the tunnel coming up the ramp toward University of Ottawa,” Cripps said.
A clip, rather than a spike, connects the track to the concrete.
Don’t expect a throwback event copying the 1885 last spike ceremony for the Canadian Pacific Railway.
“I had this great idea that we should all dress up in period costumes and that was shot down by everyone. I’m thinking, like, you know, me in a top hat would look really stupid,” Watson joked with reporters.
“It was an opportunity, really, for us to show that the line is now fully joined on both sets of tracks and I know there’s a lot of built-up expectation that people want to see the tunnel, they want to see beyond the train and I think people will come away very impressed.”