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88-629: The O-Train network is fully grade separated and accessible, featuring low-floor trains that allow for easy boarding. It includes a 2.5 km tunnel in the downtown core, while the remainder of the network operates on surface-level light rail tracks. The next phase of expansion will see the southward extension of Line 2 to Limebank station, along with the addition of a new line ( Line 4 ) that will connect Line 2 to Ottawa International Airport . This expansion includes five newly constructed stations. Since May 2020, Stage 2 construction has temporarily shut down Line 2, with an expected reopening in late 2024. Line 1

176-513: A bid to proceed even if it had not met the minimum scoring threshold, and that staff had otherwise correctly followed the entire procurement process that had been approved by council. On May 26, 2023, the Light Rail Transit Sub-Committee received an update on the progress of construction for Lines 2 and 4, noting that construction was going well and that handover of the system to the city was expected in approximately

264-524: A deal to sell the vehicles was never successfully established. They are now slated to be scrapped. In September 2011, Alstom announced that it would deliver six new two-car Coradia LINT train sets in 2013; the trains were handed over to OC Transpo in June 2013. These trains were put into service on March 2, 2015, and the Bombardier Talent units were subsequently retired. On May 3, 2018, it

352-602: A downtown tunnel, the construction of a by-pass transit corridor via the General Hospital and a streetcar circuit along Carling Avenue, although Alex Cullen mentioned that Council already rejected the option of streetcars running on that road. On December 19, 2012, the city council unanimously approved the construction of the Confederation Line, to run east–west from Blair to Tunney's Pasture . The line runs on an existing Transitway infrastructure, with

440-475: A final decision. Transport 2000 president David Jeanes, a longtime supporter of light rail in Ottawa and a member of the city's transportation advisory committee, stated that he believed that the project was being "designed to fail". City transportation staff, though long in favour of bus rapid transit systems, disagreed with Jeanes's assessment. Numerous alternatives were proposed, including Alex Munter's plan,

528-462: A mainline railway for legal purposes). The estimated cost of the north–south expansion would have been just under $ 780 million (not including the proposed maintenance facility), making the project the largest in the city's history since the Rideau Canal project. The federal and provincial governments had each promised $ 200 million for the expansion, with the city contributing the remainder of

616-461: A margin of 12–11 in favour of continuing the project, but without the downtown section. An environmental assessment was to be conducted on the possibility of building a tunnel through downtown. Another attempt made by Councillor Gord Hunter to review the project later failed. At the same time, the Ontario government was also reviewing the project before securing its $ 200 million funding. However, it

704-612: A mixed fleet. These vehicles were manufactured in Switzerland before being transported to Canada for final assembly. The trains have a diesel-electric drive with the possibility of future electrification. The first FLIRT vehicle was delivered on October 7, 2021, and began testing on the weekend of January 15, 2022. Train sets are stored at the Walkley Yard located northeast of the Greenboro station. Before their retirement,

792-400: A pilot project to provide an alternative to the busways on which Ottawa had long depended exclusively for its high-grade transit service (see Ottawa Rapid Transit ) . The system uses low-floor diesel multiple unit trains. It is legally considered a mainline railway despite its use for local public transport purposes, and is more like an urban railway rather than a metro or tramway . It

880-479: A pilot project, the Trillium Line system was built at the cost of CA$ 21   million , relatively little compared with the hundreds of millions of dollars usually required to build a new transit line. It runs on an existing Canadian Pacific Railway track (Ellwood and Prescott subdivisions of Bytown and Prescott Railway ), so the only construction work necessary was to build the stations themselves and

968-503: A rail link to Hurdman station . Service to Gatineau would also be possible to serve commuters, as there is a railway bridge over the Ottawa River nearby, but the government of Gatineau was until 2016 opposed to extending the Trillium Line into its territory; Ottawa's city staff have taken steps to isolate the north–south line from the bridge, so it would need to be re-built north of Bayview station. A line running into Gatineau

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1056-446: A result the line continued to operate with only two operational trains until the following March when the new Alstom LINT trains entered service. In June 2017, the spring switches at Carleton were replaced with powered switches. As part of the city's Stage 2 LRT project, the Trillium Line will be extended 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) in the south, including a 4-kilometre (2.5 mi) branch to Macdonald–Cartier International Airport and

1144-403: A source of great controversy. It was a major issue in the 2006 municipal election . The incumbent mayor Bob Chiarelli had long been the main advocate for light rail in Ottawa. Terry Kilrea, who finished second to Chiarelli in the 2003 municipal election and briefly ran for mayor in 2006, believed the plan was vastly too expensive and would also be a safety hazard for Ottawa drivers. He called for

1232-472: A tunnel through the downtown core, going through the former Union Station (now the Government of Canada Conference Centre ). The plan called for using bi-mode diesel-electric trains or multiple units, allowing rapid expansion on current track powered by diesel engines, while switching to electric power through the tunnel downtown to remove the concerns about underground exhaust. Through the next thirty years,

1320-613: A vending machine on the platform, and certain bus passes are also valid for the Trillium Line. Trillium Line tickets were exchanged for bus transfers upon boarding a bus. Although bus transfers can be used to board the O-Train, prepaid bus tickets cannot. The European trains are narrower than the North American standard. In order to enable night-time use of the line by standard-width freight services, retractable platform extenders are mounted at each station (other than Bayview which

1408-540: A vote of 14 to 7, with 1 councillor absent, to award the north–south expansion to the Siemens/PCL/Dufferin design team. The proposed extension, which was not undertaken, would have replaced the Trillium Line with an electric LRT system running on double track, as opposed to the current single-track diesel system. According to the plan, the line was to be extended east from its current northern terminus to run through LeBreton Flats and downtown Ottawa as far as

1496-582: Is a diesel light rail transit (DLRT) service in Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, operated by OC Transpo . The line has been closed since May 2020 for service expansion. Part of the O-Train light rail system, the line runs north–south for 8 kilometres (5 mi) between Bayview and Greenboro . The line is a single track, with three passing sidings on dedicated rights-of-way shared with Ottawa Central freight trains south of Walkley Yard, which occasionally serve

1584-483: Is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation . In business since 1920 as Tanaka Rolling Stock Works, and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945, they produce rolling stock for numerous transportation agencies, ranging from Shinkansen high-speed trains to light rail vehicles . Kinki Sharyo is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange as TYO : 7122 . Kinki Sharyo also produces steel doors, known as

1672-478: Is being extended in both directions, with the eastward extension to Trim station in Orleans scheduled to open first in 2025. By 2027, the westward expansion of Line 1 to Algonquin station and the construction of Line 3 stations to Moodie station in the west end are expected to be completed. These expansions will bring the system's total length to 64.5 km (40.1 mi), with four lines and 41 stations. The system's name

1760-444: Is constructed on its own private rail spur). Passengers gain access to the Trillium Line on these extenders. If the line is used for freight, the extenders are retracted allowing a wider train to pass through the station. The extender interface with the train has been refined over time, and cyclists and wheelchair users now have no trouble accessing the train. The service frequency of a train every fifteen minutes made it possible to run

1848-414: Is expected to be entirely complete by 2026 with the extension south complete in 2024, east in 2025 and west in 2026. The project is made up of three extensions: an eastern extension of the Confederation Line by five stations from Blair station to Trim Road, a western extension by 11 stations from Tunney's Pasture to Baseline station and Moodie station with a split at Lincoln Fields station, and an upgrade of

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1936-491: Is now expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2024 although no firm opening date has been established. The Trillium Line was introduced on October 15, 2001, as a pilot project to provide an alternative to the Transitway bus rapid transit on which Ottawa had long depended exclusively for its high-grade transit service. The single-track line operated with five stations and a single passing loop at Carleton station . As

2024-521: Is often described as "light rail", partly because there were plans to extend it into Ottawa's downtown as a tramway-like service, and partly because the original Bombardier Talent trains are smaller and lighter than most mainline trains in North America and do not meet the Association of American Railroads' standards for crash strength . On July 12, 2006, Ottawa City Council voted by

2112-439: Is that there is very low ridership of the trains compared to some very crowded bus lines such as the 90–99 series routes. One fully loaded Trillium Line train carries 285 passengers compared to 131 passengers for an articulated bus . The O-Train schedule is limited by track capacity. In July 2006, Ottawa City Council approved a north–south light rail expansion project. The project would have terminated diesel light rail service on

2200-467: The Association of American Railroads' standards for crash strength . Ottawa is also authorized to run trains with only a single operator and no other crew, something rare on mainline railways in North America. Until late 2014, the official name of the diesel-powered, north–south line was "O-Train". After construction started on a second, east–west light rail line (the Confederation Line ),

2288-644: The Canadian Pacific Railway . The yard has enclosed buildings for repairs and outdoor storage tracks. As part of the Stage 2 project, a new maintenance facility will be built adjacent and to the west of the existing facilities. The construction of the new yard facilities began in 2019. Kinki Sharyo Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd. ( 近畿車輛株式会社 , Kinki Sharyō kabushiki gaisha ) is a Japanese manufacturer of railroad vehicles based in Osaka . It

2376-481: The National Research Council of Canada 's Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre. Despite being a local public transit line, it is actually a federally regulated mainline railway and operated under the official name "Capital Railway", which appears on the trains in addition to the service's logo. All stations except Carleton have single platforms. Between 2013 and 2015, the line

2464-458: The Queensway via the transitway. On March 3, 2008, the city of Ottawa revealed four different options for its transit expansion plan, and presented at Open House consultation meetings during the same week. All plans included the construction of a downtown tunnel or subway to accommodate transit service and possible addition of businesses underground, as well as the expansion of rapid transit to

2552-584: The "Practical Plan" by the Friends of the O-Train, and the Ottawa Transit group plan. On December 1, 2006, the new council took office. It started a debate on the issue during the week of December 4 with three options including the status quo , the truncation of portions of the current track or the cancellation of the contract. An Ottawa Sun article had reported on December 5 that if the project were cancelled, there could be lawsuits by Siemens against

2640-618: The Bombardier Talent trainsets were maintained by Bombardier Transportation at the Walkley facilities. Bombardier continues to perform maintenance of the Trillium Line fleet, which included standstill maintenance of the retired Bombardier Talent trains until March 8, 2018. The Walkley Yard was built in 1955 by the National Capital Commission for the Canadian National Railways and later sold to

2728-451: The Dow's Lake rail tunnel, the upgrading of the signalling system to allow the implementation of positive train control , the construction of several new pedestrian tunnels and overpasses, and numerous guideway and vehicle rehabilitation projects. The contract for this project was approved on March 7, 2019, by city council, with construction of the airport spur beginning in mid-2019. The project

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2816-596: The EY Centre, with four new stations at South Keys , Leitrim , Bowesville and Limebank in Riverside South . There will be a new pocket track, passing track and crossover tracks at South Keys station and the tracks will be fully doubled from the Leitrim Road overpass to Limebank station. The full extension will be grade separated. In addition, two more stations will be built along the existing portion of

2904-482: The East and West extension of the Confederation Line was awarded to East West Connectors, a partnership between Vinci SA and Kiewit Corporation . Financial close was reached with TransitNext on March 29, 2019, and a month later with East West Connectors. Construction began in 2019 with preliminary tree removal, utility work and road realignments. Work on the new rail yard for the Trillium Line as well as guideway work for

2992-928: The O-Train Light Rail Transit project received the Canadian Urban Transit Association ’s Corporate Innovation Award. On January 16, 2003, the Ontario chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) presented the City of Ottawa, Canadian Pacific Railway and Morrison Hershfield with the APWA Public Works Project of the Year award in the transportation category. This award was established to highlight excellence in

3080-416: The O-Train name was applied to the entire system, and the north–south line was renamed the "Trillium Line". Ticketing on the Trillium Line originally worked entirely on a proof-of-payment basis; there were no ticket barriers or turnstiles , and the driver did not check fares. Occasionally, OC Transpo Special Constables or other employees prompted passengers for proof-of-payment. Tickets can be purchased from

3168-544: The Parkway, although rail would run through many traffic lights and stops. The NCC also suggested that the city consider options other than the Kichi Zibi Mikan. Three Ottawa Centre candidates for the 2008 federal election – incumbent New Democratic Party MP Paul Dewar , Liberal candidate Penny Collenette , and Conservative candidate Brian McGarry – also expressed opposition to building a light-rail line along

3256-551: The Parkway. Another potential route identified between Lincoln Fields and the Transitway near Westboro was a small strip of land located on the southern side of Richmond Road near the location of the defunct Byron Avenue streetcar line although costs would be much higher than the Parkway route. In early September 2008, city staff suggested that the first phase of the transit plan to be built would be similar to Option 3 with rail service from Riverside South to Blair Station via

3344-593: The Stage 2 extension began in mid-2019, starting with the clear-cutting of trees along the corridors that will be used by the extension. Construction of the airport spur was expected to be completed in 2020 to give the airport authority time to rebuild the terminal and connect it to the future station. Extending the Trillium Line across the Ottawa River into Gatineau across the Chief William Commanda Bridge had been proposed as early as

3432-444: The Trillium Line pilot have revolved around its placement and ridership levels. The Trillium Line's route was determined by existing railway tracks, rather than the parts of the city that needed public transport, which would have required new tracks to be laid. Carleton University students, however, benefited from the Trillium Line pilot project, as it connected the university to the busy Ottawa Transitway system. The other criticism

3520-531: The Trillium Line so as to reuse its right-of-way for a double-track, electric light rail line that would have extended west from the University of Ottawa to Bayview then south to Leitrim and then west to Barrhaven . However, in December 2006, Ottawa City Council cancelled this project, thus leaving the diesel-powered Trillium Line unchanged. On May 18, 2011, OC Transpo approved a $ 200,000 study to expand

3608-681: The Trillium Line that includes two new stations along the existing alignment, an extension southwards by four stations to a new Limebank station, and a branch line to the Macdonald-Cartier International Airport . On March 6, 2019, the Ottawa City Council voted 19–3 to approve the C$ 4.66 billion contracts to begin construction of the Stage 2 plan. The southern extension of the Trillium Line was awarded to TransitNext (solely operated by SNC-Lavalin ), while

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3696-460: The Trillium Line. The $ 59-million proposal included the purchase of six new trainsets and track improvements that would decrease headways from 15 minutes to 8 minutes. The project would finally cost $ 60.3   million. In mid-2013, service on the Trillium Line was suspended for four months to implement service and track improvements such as new station platforms and two new passing tracks (near Brookfield and Gladstone). Upgrades were also made to

3784-486: The University of Ottawa, and south-west from its Greenboro terminus to the growing Riverside South community and Barrhaven . Much of the route would have run through the undeveloped Riverside South area to allow a large new suburb to be constructed in the area south of the airport. The line would not have connected to the airport. Construction of the extension was scheduled to begin in the autumn of 2006, resulting in

3872-461: The above described Stage 2, as well as a future Stage 3 expansion plan. The O-Train could potentially become a connection point with the proposed Gatineau LRT system, to be run by the STO , which is planned to operate partly on the Ottawa side of the river. On May 15, 2020, the city of Gatineau presented two options to integrate its proposed LRT with Ottawa's transit system: either running the new LRT on

3960-415: The airport branch to trains bound for Bayview station. The city is not contributing any money to this spur, with the funding instead coming from the federal and provincial governments, as well as the airport authority. On February 22, 2019, the city announced that the selected proponent to construct the project was TransitNEXT, a wholly owned subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin . This decision was controversial as

4048-648: The bid proposing this vehicle). Other bids had proposed the Bombardier Flexity Swift and a Kinki Sharyo tram. With the use of electric power, greater frequency, and street-level running in central Ottawa, the expanded system would have borne much more resemblance to the urban tramways usually referred to by the phrase "light rail" than does the pilot project (though the use of the Capital Railway track and additional existing tracks which have been acquired along its route may cause it to remain

4136-474: The city totalling as much as $ 1 billion. The new mayor, Larry O'Brien , opted to keep the extension to Barrhaven while eliminating the portion that would run from Lebreton Flats to the University of Ottawa . However, Council also introduced the possibility of building several tunnels in the downtown core in replacement of rail lines on Albert and Slater. Total costs for the tunnels would have been, according to city staff, about $ 500 million. The council voted by

4224-531: The contract awards for Stage 2, it also presented a map of the O-Train network that included proposed extensions that would be a part of a Stage 3 phase, including extensions to Kanata, Barrhaven, and Gatineau. On September 24, 2019, the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau jointly announced that they no longer intended to use the Chief William Commanda Bridge for any kind of rail connection, citing capacity concerns at Bayview station. The bridge

4312-403: The contract holder. It was reported on February 7, 2007, that the cost of the cancelled project was about $ 73 million. On February 14, 2007, it was reported that Siemens had written a letter to the city and gave two options. The first proposal was for the city to pay $ 175 million in compensation to Siemens in order to settle the dispute and cancel the contract. The second proposal was to re-launch

4400-551: The cost using funds from various sources including the provincial gasoline tax, the city's transit reserve fund, and the Provincial Transportation Infrastructure Grant. 4.5% of the total project cost was expected to come from the property tax base. The city also requested studies on an extension of the railway from the proposed University of Ottawa terminus through to Hurdman Station . The north–south expansion planning process became

4488-416: The downtown tunnel portion, within the following 5–10 years. On November 28, 2007, the city council announced the expansion of rail service to Riverside South, as well as a downtown tunnel, with an environmental assessment study to determine whether it should be used by bus or rail service. Options were also open for additional extensions to Cumberland South to the east and south of Lincoln Fields Station at

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4576-487: The entire light rail project to be scrapped. Mayoral candidate Alex Munter supported light rail but argued that the plan would do little to meet Ottawa's transit needs and that the true final expense of the project had been kept secret. He wanted to cut the Barrhaven leg and start work on an east–west line. Larry O'Brien , a businessman who entered the race late, wanted to postpone the project for six months before making

4664-512: The exception of the 3-stop downtown tunnel. It began service in September 2019. Stage 2 is the ongoing project to add 44 kilometres of light rail and 24 new stations in addition to stage 1 of the Confederation Line that was opened in September 2019. Initially approved in 2013, it will bring 77% of Ottawa residents within 5 km (3.1 mi) of rail. The expansion began construction in Q2 2019, and

4752-409: The fare-paid zone). The Trillium Line initially used three Bombardier Talent diesel multiple unit (DMU) trains for service. Each train (numbered C1–C3) consisted of three cars, with the front and rear powered and the centre towed. The trains were originally ordered by Deutsche Bahn and later delivered to OC Transpo. After being retired in 2015, the units were put up for auction multiple times but

4840-402: The federal government and SNC-Lavalin were involved in a political scandal at the time , which led to extra scrutiny by city councillors, with some calling for a delay on the vote to approve the contract in order to allow more time for review. Ultimately Council voted not to delay the approval and the contract was approved on March 7, 2019. It was later revealed that TransitNEXT's bid had not met

4928-443: The first or second week of October 2023, though that may shift earlier or later pending the results of operational testing across both lines. Michael Morgan, the director of rail construction, reaffirmed that all signs were pointing to Lines 2 and 4 beginning revenue service by the end of 2023 and stated that Line 4 would likely be the first of the two branches to open to the public. It was also revealed that, due to lessons learned from

5016-563: The first week. Although the changes were intended to improve frequency to eight minutes, the Trillium Line would ultimately operate at twelve minute frequency. After the completion of the Stage 2 project, the line was originally planned to continue operating using single-car trains; however, because of the lower-than-intended frequency, the city was forced to adjust the Stage 2 plan to include longer trains and platforms to compensate. On August 11, 2014, train C3 derailed while traveling northbound over

5104-525: The launch of the Line 1 Confederation Line in late 2019, parallel bus service would be retained across both lines through the end of the first winter they were in operation, so as to mitigate unforeseen disruptions caused by any remaining unexpected events related to the construction. Final testing of the line began in October 2024. If successful, revenue service could begin as early as mid-November. Work on

5192-533: The line at Gladstone and Walkley . The project will also include a number of other significant upgrades including the lengthening of all existing passing tracks, the purchase of seven new trains, the doubling in length of all existing platforms, the grade separation of the Ellwood diamond to allow Via trains to cross underneath the Trillium Line, the rehabilitation of rail bridges over the Rideau River and of

5280-420: The line with a fleet of just three trains (of which only two were in service at any given time) and a single track, apart from passing sidings at Carleton station . The Trillium Line hit the 1-millionth rider mark on May 29, 2002, the 5-millionth mark on January 21, 2005, and the 10-millionth in late 2010. In mid-2011, the Trillium Line carried an average of approximately 12,000 riders each day. In June 2002,

5368-566: The management and administration of public works projects by recognizing the alliance between the managing agency, the consultant and the contractors who, working together, complete public works projects. A third award the Trillium Line light rail transit project received was in May 2003, in the sustainable transportation category of the FCM-CH2M Hill Sustainable Community Awards. The main complaints about

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5456-479: The minimum technical scoring threshold in order to be considered, which continued the controversy. The city eventually explained that the decision to award the contract to TransitNEXT was done at the discretion of city staff to get a better deal for the city and was within the rules of the procurement process. An investigation conducted by the city's auditor general later confirmed that the authority delegated by council gave city staff sole discretion on whether to allow

5544-518: The month. There were some suggesting that the light-rail service be extended to the suburbs rather than ending at the proposed stations. Concerns were particularly voiced by south-end residents where the initial rail plan was to be built. On April 16, 2008, the Transit Committee tabled a document which recommended the fourth option. The plan was passed by the city council with a vote of 19–4 and included motions for possible rail extensions to

5632-496: The original pilot project proposal. The city's certificate of fitness for the Trillium Line, issued by the Canadian Transportation Authority in 2001, indicates that it operates between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, despite the line never having actually operated across the river. The city even considered converting the rail bridge into a pedestrian crossing at one point. When the city announced

5720-636: The passing tracks necessary to allow trains to operate in both directions. From 2001 until 2015, the system used three diesel-powered Bombardier Talent BR643 low-floor diesel multiple unit trains. It was, however, described as "light rail", partly because plans called for it to be extended into Ottawa's downtown as a tramway-like service, and partly because the Talent vehicles, though designed for mainline railways in Europe, are much smaller and lighter than most mainline trains in North America, and do not meet

5808-421: The plan called for expansion of up to six lines, including links to surrounding municipalities, the city of Gatineau and MacDonald-Cartier International Airport, with the lines gradually being electrified and expanded as required. Only the initial portion of the project was budgeted, and using only rough numbers, but the committee felt that this could be completed for between $ 600 million to $ 900 million, including

5896-503: The possibility of using the system's three Talents for an east–west pilot project after they were to be replaced by electric trams on the north–south line. Due to the cancellation of the north–south electrification project, any further plans for the diesel-powered trains on that route are uncertain. It was once thought that Transport Canada might not approve its use on the existing tracks for an east–west system, since they would have to be shared with other mainline trains. The city opted to do

5984-698: The project with an additional price tag of $ 70 million to the cost of the original project. Councillor Diane Deans had tabled a motion for a debate on February 23, 2007, but it was later cancelled. A poll conducted by the mayor's office showed that a majority of south-end residents disagreed with the cancellation of the project but only a third wanted to revive it. In 2008, lawsuits against the city of Ottawa over its cancelled light rail system totalled $ 36.7 million. The city also committed funds to perform an environmental assessment for an east–west route, running between Kanata and Orleans mainly via an existing railway right-of-way bypassing downtown. Planners initially explored

6072-474: The road's closure to all traffic until July 2, 2016. Later that year on October 2, a much smaller sinkhole opened in the same area. Due to the sinkholes, Rideau Street was closed to regular traffic from Sussex to Dalhousie, excepting buses, taxis, construction vehicles, and delivery vehicles, until December 2020. Line 4 (Ottawa) The Trillium Line ( French : Ligne Trillium ), also called O-Train Line 2 ( French : Ligne 2 de l'O-Train ),

6160-475: The shutdown of operations in May 2007, and to have been completed in autumn 2009 with operations resuming under the new systems and rolling stock. The diesel-powered Talents would have been replaced with electric trams more suitable for on-street operation in the downtown area, specifically the Siemens S70 Avanto (due to the "design, build, and maintain" contracting process which has focused upon

6248-422: The signal system, train controls, stations, tracks and train yard. A new centralized traffic control system was installed to improve safety and efficiency. Six new Alstom Coradia LINT trainsets (replacing the three older Bombardier Talent units) and the two extra passing loops allowed the number of trains on the line to double to four. Expanded service began on March 2, 2015, but suffered numerous problems during

6336-468: The sinkhole was not confirmed, CBC News reported that the deputy city manager, Nancy Schepers, said that "monitoring equipment has confirmed that the impact is localized, and the geotechnical team has not identified any safety concerns at this point". On June 8, 2016, a section of Rideau Street collapsed in the vicinity of excavations being made for the Rideau station of the Confederation Line , prompting

6424-410: The southward extension and airport link began over the summer of 2019. On May 3, 2020, the Trillium Line closed to allow upgrades to the existing alignment to be completed. On September 25, 2020, construction of the cut and cover tunnels for the westward Confederation Line extension began. Multiple major extensions of the O-Train are currently under construction or in the planning stages. This includes

6512-544: The suburbs depending on population density and available funding. However, Kitchissippi Ward councillor Christine Leadman expressed concerns of the environment integrity impacts of light-rail along the Kichi Zibi Mikan which is situated on NCC land. At least three councillors, including Leadman, Capital Ward councillor Clive Doucet and Kanata North Ward councillor Marianne Wilkinson , expressed preferences for light-rail service along Carling Avenue instead of

6600-581: The suburbs. One of the plans included light rail from Baseline Station to Blair Station and an expansion to the Ottawa Airport. All plans would have a completion date of about 2031, and costs were estimated at least $ 3 billion in total including $ 1 billion for the downtown tunnel. The majority of the public supported a downtown tunnel and the fourth transit option during public consultations meetings in Centretown, Barrhaven, Kanata and Orleans during

6688-637: The surface along Wellington Street to Elgin Street , or constructing a new tunnel below Sparks Street to Elgin. The surface option on Wellington also includes the possibility of creating a future transit loop by having the LRT cross back into Gatineau via the Alexandra Bridge . In May 2021, Gatineau announced that it found the Sparks Street tunnel option to be the "optimal solution," while noting

6776-406: The surface option remains a possibility should the tunnel prove to be unfeasible. On February 21, 2014, an 8 metre wide, 12 meter deep sinkhole opened above the LRT tunnel excavation site at Waller Street south of Laurier Avenue, interrupting electricity, water, sanitation, and storm services in the area, and forcing the rerouting of traffic and a temporary halt of LRT tunnelling. Though the cause of

6864-436: The switch just south of Carleton station. The cause was determined to be a faulty spring switch that had not closed properly as well as the operator failing to follow regulations and physically inspect the switch after spotting a signal irregularity. No serious injuries occurred as a result of the derailment; however, train C3 received damage and was taken out of service. C3 was never repaired and never returned to service and as

6952-405: The term "O-Train" initially referred to the north–south diesel line. With the construction of a second line, the east/west Confederation Line, the O-Train branding was extended to include both rail transit services, with the original service being renamed as the Trillium Line. The O-Train consists of two grade-separated lines: The Trillium Line (the original O-Train line) was introduced in 2001 as

7040-404: The time, rapidly growing communities east of Ottawa. The committee, headed by the former member of parliament and cabinet minister David Collenette , recommended that Ottawa's needs would be best served by light rail through the future. This plan called for expansion of the system using rail rights-of-way and stations ( Via Rail , CP Rail, and Ottawa Central Railway), constructing new stations and

7128-544: The westward expansion in stages, beginning with the east–west LRT Confederation Line. Long-term plans had included lines on Carling Avenue from the existing Dow's Lake station westward to Bayshore and Bells Corners , and from the Rideau Centre south-east to the area of Innes Road and Blair Road via Rideau Street, Montreal Road , and Blair Road. The city has conducted a $ 4 million environmental assessment study for these two corridors. There were also possibilities of

7216-410: Was announced that the city would be purchasing seven new Stadler FLIRT trains to use on the extended Trillium Line after the completion of Stage 2. These trains will be approximately 80 metres (262 ft) long, which is double the 41-metre (135 ft) length of the current Coradia LINT trains. The new trains will operate alongside coupled pairs of the existing LINT trains on the main line as part of

7304-612: Was expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2022 but was delayed initially to October 2023, then to April 2024, then to mid-2024, and as of August 2024, the line is still "in week two of the eight to 10 week testing and trial period", and has no firm completion date. The 4-kilometre (2.5 mi) airport link (Line 4) will run from Macdonald–Cartier International Airport north to South Keys station, where riders will need to change trains to continue to Bayview station . South Keys station will feature an island platform to facilitate cross-platform transfers for passengers arriving from

7392-689: Was later opened in September 2023 as a multi-use pedestrian pathway. As of 2019 , ticket barriers are installed and operational in all Line 2 stations. They were initially installed in all stations except for Bayview in order to test the hardware and software of the fare gate system before it was installed in all thirteen stations on Line 1. The Trillium Line stations have large, bus-style sheltered waiting areas for passengers. All stations have level boarding platforms to allow for wheelchair access and easier boarding for all passengers. Elevators are available at Greenboro (for Transitway riders), Dow's Lake (for Line 2 riders) and Bayview (for train transfers within

7480-507: Was not included in the plans for expansion up to 2021. In January 2007, Mayor Larry O'Brien formed a special committee to review the city's transportation needs and provide a report to city council by the beginning of June 2007. On June 1, this report was presented to the mayor, and was subsequently released to the media and the public on June 6. This report was criticized by some for planning service to Smiths Falls and Arnprior while neglecting to plan service to Rockland and Embrun which were, at

7568-492: Was proposed by Acart Communications, an Ottawa advertising agency. The name "O-Train" was based on the classic Duke Ellington signature tune " Take the 'A' Train ", which refers to the New York City Subway's A train . Because Ottawa is a bilingual city, the name had to work in both English and French. It survived an internal OC Transpo naming competition and was adopted soon after. From its inception until 2014,

7656-403: Was reported that both the federal and provincial funding totalling $ 400 million was not secured before the contract deadline of December 15. O'Brien withdrew his support, and a new vote was held on December 14. With the presence of Rainer Bloess , who was absent during the previous vote, the council decided to cancel the project by a margin of 13-11 despite the possibility of lawsuits from Siemens,

7744-439: Was upgraded and its fleet replaced, cutting wait times during peak periods from 15 minutes to 12 minutes. On May 3, 2020, the line was shut down for an upgrade and expansion project, which will add eight stations and 16 kilometres (10 mi) of track, including a spur to Macdonald–Cartier International Airport . The project was originally expected to be complete by September 2022 but has been delayed several times. The line

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