The freezing rain that plagued Waterloo Region Wednesday into Thursday forced Grand River Transit (GRT) to declare a severe weather event.
Wednesday saw heavy transit delays, and the ION light rail transit service was completely shut down, with shuttle buses in place.
As of early Thursday morning, the GRT Service Alerts page still had the ION listed as not running between Waterloo and Kitchener.
ION train service resumed Thursday afternoon, and a statement to 570 NewsRadio said the Region of Waterloo and Grand River Transit worked with the LRT operator, Keolis, to resolve the disruption.
The transportation agency said that when freezing rain is in the forecast it runs additional trains overnight to help clear the ice from overhead wires.
“We use every tool we have to ensure the reliability of the LRT and minimize the disruption,” it said.
Keolis notes that scrapers are added to all trains to break through ice build-up, and de-icer is added to the portions of the train connected to the wires before and during service.
The slippery road conditions Thursday morning still had officials warning that buses could be delayed as drivers work to navigate a slippery commute.
In one case on Wednesday, a GRT bus crashed into a Cambridge home after police said the driver lost control on the ice.
Temperatures are expected to rise to 4 C on Thursday, with a risk of freezing rain returning on Friday.
The latest traffic and weather updates can be found on the 570 NewsRadio weather page.
