The partial resumption of the troubled light rail system in Ottawa took place on Tuesday, August 8, and the Ottawa Regional Transit Authority plans to fully operate the rail system by Monday, August 14.

In a memo issued to the City of Ottawa Council on Monday, August 7, the General Manager of the Ottawa Regional Transit Authority, Renée Amilcar, stated that the partial service would resume between the Tunney's Pasture and University of Ottawa (uOttawa) stations on Tuesday, August 8, at 5 a.m.
Amilcar said, "The Rideau Transit Group (RTG) has been working since Thursday, August 3, to change the status of the constrained tracks along the alignment, and the necessary work between the Tunney's Pasture and uOttawa stations is complete. The transit authority conducted a trial run on this section to ensure that all train systems are safe and ready for service."

Amilcar added that adjusting the constrained tracks to prevent any contact between the train wheel and the railway is one of the safety memo's requirements, which must be completed before fully resuming service.

With the partial resumption of service on Tuesday after the long weekend, this means:

Line 1 service will operate between Tunney's Pasture and uOttawa stations
Five single-car trains will provide service every five minutes
R1, R1 Express, and Para R1 services will continue to operate without any changes
An additional train may be launched during peak times to accommodate large numbers of customers
Customers may notice slower train speeds in the tunnel due to speed restrictions as part of safety requirements during the gradual resumption of service, and staff will be at the stations to support customers during their journeys.

Amilcar confirmed that transit staff have been busy preparing for the partial resumption of service on Tuesday, including:

Conducting trials between the Tunney's Pasture and uOttawa stations to verify train systems
Cleaning stations
Activating escalators and elevators
Checking the operation of all announcement systems and updating messages
Installing wayfinding signs for station navigation
Preparing outreach staff
Installing new badges to identify single-car boarding locations on the platforms

The General Manager of the transit authority stated that work on the remaining constrained tracks is ongoing, and so far, nine out of 16 locations have been changed.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, during a media briefing on Monday, August 7, said, "This is just one step in a long journey."

He added, "The very important work to permanently fix the system is ongoing, but we are moving in the right direction. I am grateful for the patience of Ottawa residents, and I want to assure you once again that I and the team at the transit authority and City Hall will not rest until Ottawa residents have the system they deserve."

Amilcar explained that Alstom is working on a permanent fix, redesigning the axle and reinforcing the bearing. In the meantime, they will continue to operate the partial train service, and Amilcar assured listeners that passenger safety remains their top priority.

While Amilcar stated that the completion date has not been confirmed at this stage, what is certain is that they will need at least 12 months for redesign, followed by a prototype, additional adjustments, and time to roll out the new design across the entire fleet.

Amilcar said, "RTG is also continuing the required replacement of wheel axle sets in the train fleet, and replacements have now been completed on 22 trains. By operating single-car trains, the transit authority can accommodate current customer volumes and manage fleet availability in the long term."

The train line was completely shut down due to a mechanical issue discovered during routine inspection, and all train services were suspended, with all stations closing around 5 p.m. on Monday, July 17, due to a technical issue.

On July 31, Ottawa transit services launched a new R1 Express route as the rail system entered its third week of closure to transit users.

The transit authority has started providing a new R1 Para bus service in addition to the newly launched R1 Express route and regular Para Transpo service.