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The National Research Council cold-weather testing on the LRT system did high-tech lab work, but never actually drove the trains in an Ottawa winter.

Indoor lab tests by the NRC featured cold, wind, snow and ice that tested the Citadis Spirit’s ability to keep running.

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But when they began real service, the trains ran into unforeseen factors — power losses, frozen switches and more — that caused breakdowns and a winter of discontent for passengers.

Rideau Transit Group has refused a councillor’s request to make public the details of its cold-weather testing.

The city clerk’s office will let individual councillors view the test results, but not have copies, so the public will never see either the results or even the testing methods.

City officials say the tests went well and issued a brief summary. But this summary indicates there was no actual driving involved.

And the summary makes no mention of testing for the effects of salt and dirt — factors that crippled LRT fleet by causing electrical arcing.