A west-end councillor calls the damage to the O-Train Moodie Station “a disaster,” saying the tracks and overhead catenary system will need to be removed and replaced. The July 1 storm brought more than 140 millimetres of rain to sections of Ottawa’s west end, and flooded several O-Train stations under construction between New Orchard Station and Moodie Station. Coun. Laine Johnson says she went on a tour of Moodie Station on Monday to assess the damage at Moodie Station. “What I saw, and what I heard, shocked me,” Johnson said on Facebook. Johnson posted a photo showing the crushed stone, called ballast, and the tracks following flood waters that flowed through the station. “The ballast was largely washed away. And what remains was ruined in a way that means it will have to be replaced,” Johnson said. “The tracks will have to be removed, the catenary system will have to be removed - months of work undone. And some electrical equipment was flooded and will have to be replaced, too. It will take time to get that manufactured and shipped to Ottawa. “It’s truly a disaster. We are all anxiously awaiting the assessment to know what the impact will be.” Last week, Ottawa’s director of rail construction told CTV News Ottawa that OC Transpo and the constructor, KEV, continued to assess the “significant damage” to the tracks and the station. “There was damage to the ballast and there was damage to the track. At this point, it’s not likely that much will be salvaged,” Holder told CTV News Ottawa’s Leah Larocque. “We need to get the formal assessment in terms of the track. But there will be certain parts of the equipment and certain parts of the electrical system that will need to be replaced.” Holder said one of the options OC Transpo is looking at for the West Extension is to open Line 3 between Tunney’s Pasture and Algonquin College first, with a delayed opening for the line between Tunney’s Pasture and Moodie Station. In a memo to council last Wednesday, Holder said staff continue to examine the infrastructure, including electrical equipment, ballast and sections of the track. “This detailed work is ongoing, and no determinations have been made regarding the repairs that may be required,” Holder said. “As shared at Council, preliminary information does indicate that a section of the line in the Moodie Station area will require repairs to electrical equipment, sections of track and ballast and other infrastructure. In addition to this work, an external consultant has been engaged to assess the overall schedule for the Stage 2 West Extension. The consultant is reviewing all aspects of the project, and the full update is expected to be provided in early 2027.” Coun. Theresa Kavanagh told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa at Work with Patricia Boal the damage is “significant.” “The water rushed down on the tracks and just pulled away the ballast. That’s those stones underneath the rails,” Kavanagh said on Tuesday. “So, you could see the significant damage, but the long-term effect of it isn’t just that they were washed away, but the amount of debris and dirt is hugely problematic, and they have to redo it all because that’s very dangerous for an LRT system.” Kavanagh said OC Transpo s looking at “removing the tracks and removing many other components of what was already done there.” “Nothing’s off the table” OC Transpo’s general manager Rick Leary, speaking for the first time about the flooding damage to the west extension, says an assessment is still ongoing to determine what needs to be repaired or replaced. “It was extensive damage through the flood and right now, what I’m doing is I’m working with the contractor and we’re doing an assessment,” he said. “I’ve been very clear to council and the transit committee that I’ll be back in early 2027 with the schedule for repair and replace and when we think we can start up.” Leary didn’t rule out a delayed opening for the line between Tunney’s Pasture and Moodie Station. “Nothing’s off the table, as I’ve always said, but it’s premature to make that decision yet,” he said. The O-Train West Extension is scheduled to open in 2027. With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Leah Larocque and Ted Raymond
