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Commuters on the O-Train Trillium line were furious after a switch malfunction stopped the expanded service in its tracks during the Monday morning commute.

Transit Commission chairman Stephen Blais arrival at the Carleton University O-Train station was delayed after he opened the expanded service at the Greenboro station.

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Blais spent part of his morning at Greenboro station apologizing to riders for the delay after a switch malfunction halted service on the day city staff launched the new Trillium line.

“Just like when you buy a brand new house, you move in, you expect everything to be perfect and every once and a while there’s a couple things that aren’t exactly the way they are supposed to be,” Blais said. “Our staff fixed them very quickly.”

Ottawa Citizen

The city had planned to launch the event with fanfare, inviting reporters to a 9:30 a.m. briefing at Carleton University.

Blais and OC Transpo general manager John Manconi, who were both stuck at Greenboro, arrived an hour late to the event with dozens of furious commuters. Some of the O-Train riders had been delayed as long as an hour as a result of a switch malfunction at the at the south end of the passing track at the Carleton University station.