Ottawa O-Train
Encyclopedia
The O-Train is a light-rail
transit (LRT) service in Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
operated by OC Transpo
. The present line runs north-south on a railway line, from Bayview to Greenboro, a distance of approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi). It is entirely isolated from road traffic, but shared with other trains; after operating hours the track has been infrequently used by Ottawa Central
for freight service to the National Research Council
.
Various explanations for the system’s name have been suggested; however, it was first put forth by copywriter Tom Gerylo at an Ottawa advertising agency working for OC Transpo. The name O-Train was based on the classic Duke Ellington signature tune "Take the 'A' Train", which refers to a New York City Subway service
. In French, it is pronounced similarly to 'au train,' ('by train'). It survived an internal OC Transpo naming competition and was adopted soon after.
Since its opening on October 15, 2001, the O-Train hit the 1-millionth rider mark on May 29, 2002, the 5-millionth mark on January 21, 2005, and the 10-million in late 2010.
on which Ottawa had long depended exclusively for its high-grade transit service (see Ottawa Rapid Transit
).
The present system uses three diesel-powered Bombardier
Talent BR643
low-floor diesel multiple unit
trains. It is legally considered a mainline railway despite being used for local public transport purposes, and the service it provides at present is, in terms of its route and service frequency, more like that of an urban railway than a metro
or tram
way. OC Transpo operates it under the official name of ‘Capital Railway’, which appears on the trains along with their regular logo. 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 Talents, though designed for mainline railways in Europe, are much smaller and lighter than most mainline trains in North America, and do not meet the AAR's standards for crash strength. Ottawa is also authorized to run trains with only a single operator and no other crew, something quite rare on mainline railways in North America.
As a pilot project, the O-Train system was built at the cost of $
21 million, relatively little compared with the hundreds of millions of dollars usually required to build a new transit line. It runs on a pre-existing Canadian Pacific Railway
track (Ellwood and Prescott
subdivisions,) so the only construction work necessary was to build the stations themselves and the passing tracks necessary to allow trains to operate in both directions. The downside to this, however, is that much ground pollution
remains from the track’s previous use. This will become a liability one day when the city has to pay to clean it up, which it has thus far avoided by not digging into the ground under the tracks.
The current service frequency of a train every fifteen minutes makes it possible to run the line with a fleet of only three trains (of which only two are in service at any given time) and a single track apart from passing sidings at Carleton station
; if service is to be increased significantly in the future, double tracks and more trains will be needed.
Ottawa’s three Talent units were built by Bombardier Transportation
as part of a larger order for Deutsche Bahn
’s regional network, and the only significant difference between them and the German units is that their on-board toilets have been decommissioned. As well, the luggage racks have been blocked, although this seemed not to be a problem with the train's operation in Germany. Deutsche Bahn’s red-and-white colour scheme was deemed similar enough to OC Transpo’s livery that the trains did not need to be repainted. The trains were purchased under an agreement under which they could be sold back to Bombardier if they were replaced or retired, but the agreement has since expired.
As of mid 2011, the O-Train carried an average of approximately 12,000 riders each day.
Carleton is the only O-Train station with separate platforms for both directions; at Carling and Confederation one can tell where a train is headed by the direction from which it enters the station and by its electronic destination sign.
Ticketing on the O-Train works entirely on a proof-of-payment basis; there are no ticket barriers or turnstiles, and the driver does not check fares. Occasionally, OC Transpo employees wait at stations and require proof of payment. Tickets can be purchased from a vending machine on the platform, and certain bus passes are also valid for the O-Train. O-Train tickets are exchanged for bus transfers upon boarding a bus. Although bus transfers can be used to board the O-Train, prepaid bus tickets cannot.
Paper schedules rather than electronic signs are posted at the stations to supply departure information. At the Carling and Confederation stations, signs are posted indicating the direction of travel for northbound and southbound trains; Carleton has separate platforms, and from Bayview and Greenboro trains travel in only one direction.
The O-Train stations have sheltered waiting areas for passengers, but at three stations these are only large bus-style shelters beside the tracks. The exceptions are Carling, where an elevator building is required since the tracks are below street level, and Greenboro, where a covered walkway extends towards the nearby South Keys Shopping Centre. All stations have level boarding platforms to allow for wheelchair
access
and easier boarding for all passengers.
The European train cars 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 is constructed on its own private rail spur). Passengers gain access to the O-Train on these extenders, three sets of which are visible in the above photo (at the location of the solid yellow platform markings). 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.
At present, the trains stop at every station and all trains run directly from one end of the line to the other (with only five stations, short-turns would be of questionable value). The Talent units can be coupled together to form longer trains, but current ridership levels do not require this extended service, which in any case would require more trains and longer platforms at the stations. Each of the three carriages has a plug-type doorway for each side of the train. Rather than all doors opening at each station, passengers must individually open the door of which they intend to board or disembark by pressing a button.
Despite their diesel engines, the trains are quite comfortable; even for passengers sitting directly above the motors, the ride is quiet and smooth. Seats are arranged with two on each side of the carriage, and the rows alternate facing directions, such that half the seats are facing forward in either direction of travel.
The interior is clearly one designed for a mainline train; there are only a few poles for standing passengers, mostly located around the doors and closely integrated into the train’s overall design. There are no advertisements on board the trains despite the available space on what are in fact plastic covers over what traditionally would be overhead storage areas; viewable through the slats from below. These areas were presumably cordoned off in order to reduce litter and to improve safety however this often means more cramped quarters, especially during peak travel times. Although the trains consist of three carriages, they are connected such that it is possible to walk from one end to the other; the only noticeable divisions between the carriages are a short articulated section in the walls and a slight ramp over the dividing line. The trains have low floors, but the half-carriages at the ends of the trains have high floors with several steps up, to provide room for under-floor motors. The doors into the cabs are clear, allowing passengers to see in, but some drivers prefer to pull curtains across.
There are no maps posted on the trains, but electronic screens in each carriage and recorded voice messages announce the stations as they come up. The station announcements and all signs are bilingual in English
and French
; a few features of the trains, such as the buttons touched to open the doors, are also marked in German
as a result of their design heritage.
’s Corporate Innovation Award.
On January 16th, 2003 the Ontario Chapter of the American Public Works Association
presented the City of Ottawa
, Canadian Pacific Railway
and Morrison Hershfield
, with the APWA’S Public Works Project of the Year award in the Transportation Category. This award was established to highlight the excellence in 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 O-Train light rail transit project received was in May 2003, in the sustainable transportation category of the FCM-CH2M Hill Sustainable Community Awards.
students would probably disagree, since they are the main group to have benefited from the O-Train pilot project, and if they live in the areas serviced by the train, they no longer have to ride buses through traffic to get to the University campus.
The other criticism is that the trains receive very low ridership compared to some very crowded bus lines such as Route 95, and some believe that the money should be spent accommodating the most people possible on the current network, instead of paying for expensive side projects. It should be noted, however, that one fully loaded O-Train carries 285 passengers compared to 131 passengers for an articulated bus
, so the objection is more relevant to the O-Train schedule, which is limited by current track capacity. The current system is unquestionably limited, but, as a pilot project, many of these limitations are intentional.
On July 12, 2006, Council voted in favour (by a vote of 14 to 7, with 1 councillor absent) of awarding the North-South expansion to the Siemens/PCL/Dufferin design team. The proposed extension was more accurately termed a replacement, as the final O-Train would have been an electric tram 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 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 currently undeveloped Riverside South area, and it was hoped that the train would allow a large new suburb to be constructed in the area south of the airport. The line itself would not have connected to the airport. Construction of the extension would have been scheduled to begin in the autumn of 2006, resulting in the shutdown of operations in May 2007, and 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 tram
s more suitable for on-street operation in the downtown area, by the Siemens S70 Avanto
(due to the ‘design, build, and maintain’ contracting process which has focused upon 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 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 of Ottawa contributing the remainder of the cost using funds from various sources including the Provincial Gas 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 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 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 a final decision.
Transport 2000
president David Jeanes, a long time supporter of light rail in Ottawa and a member of the City of Ottawa'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, disagree with Jeanes's assessment.
The plan was criticized from all sides, and numerous alternatives were proposed, including Alex Munter
's plan, 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 to 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 the City of Ottawa totalling as much as $1 billion.
With those possibilities, 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 have 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. Council voted by a margin of 12-11 in favour of continuing the project, but without the downtown section. An environmental assessment will 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 their $200 million funding. However, it 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, Council decided to cancel the project by a margin of 13-11 despite the possibility of lawsuits from Siemens, the contract holder. It was reported on 2006-02-07 that the cost of the cancelled project was about $73 million.
However, on February 14, 2007, it was reported that Siemens wrote a letter to the City of Ottawa 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 officially cancel the contract. The second proposal was to re-launch 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 2007-02-23 but it was later cancelled. A poll conducted by the mayor's office showed that a majority of south-end residents disagreed about the cancellation of the project but only a third wanted to revive it.
might not approve their use on the existing tracks for an east-west system, since they would have to be shared with other mainline trains.
Long-term plans had included lines on Carling Avenue from the existing Carling
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 of Ottawa has conducted a $4 million Environmental Assessment Study for these two corridors. There were also possibilities of a rail link to Hurdman Station
.
Service to Gatineau
would also be possible (and desirable, considering the potential base of commuters), as there is a railway bridge
over the Ottawa River
nearby, but the government of Gatineau is opposed to extending the O-Train into their territory; Ottawa's city staff have taken steps to isolate the current north-south line from the bridge, so it would need to be re-built north of Bayview station. A line running into Gatineau is not included in the current plans for expansion up to 2021, but the city is keeping this option open through its track acquisitions.
The committee, headed by former Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister David Collenette
, recommended that Ottawa's needs will be best served by light rail through the future. This plan calls for expansion of the system using current rail rights-of-way and stations (Via Rail
, CP Rail, and Ottawa Central Railway), constructing new stations and a tunnel through the downtown core, going through the former Union Station (now currently the Government of Canada Conference Centre
). The plan initially calls 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, the plan calls 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 feels that this can be completed for between $600 million to $900 million, including the downtown tunnel portion, within the next 5–10 years.
at the Queensway
via the current 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 the suburbs. One of the plans includes 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 are estimated at least $3 billion in total including $1 billion for the downtown tunnel.
The majority of the public were in support of a downtown tunnel as well as the fourth transit option during public consultations meetings in Centretown, Barrhaven, Kanata and Orleans during 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 passed City Council by a vote of 19-4, and included motions for possible rail extensions to 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 Ottawa River Parkway
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 of light-rail service along Carling Avenue instead of the Parkway although rail would run through many traffic lights and stops. The NCC has also suggested the city to consider other options then the Ottawa River Parkway while all three Ottawa Centre
candidates for the 2008 federal elections
, including incumbent New Democratic Party
MP Paul Dewar
, Liberal candidate Penny Collenette and Conservative candidate Brian McGarry have also expressed opposition to rail on 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 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 a downtown tunnel as well as the construction of a by-pass transit corridor via the General Hospital as well as a streetcar circuit along Carling Avenue although Alex Cullen mentioned that Council already rejected the option of streetcars running on that road. The first phase is planned to be completed by 2018.
to Blair
in the east end, with a tunnel running under Downtown. The line is expected to open sometime between 2017 and 2019.
200,000 to study extending the existing O-Train line southwards to Leitrim
and Riverside South. The proposed extension was part of a C$59 million expansion that would include the purchase of six new trainsets and track improvements that would increase headways to eight minutes from fifteen.
In September 2011, Alstom
announced that they are to supply six new Coradia Lint trains, to be delivered in 2013.
. Trains are towed to the site by Ottawa Central Railway
locomotives, thus there are no work vehicles for the O-Train fleet.
The Walkley Yard was built in 1955 by the National Capital Commission
for the Canadian National Railways and later sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway
.
The yard has enclosed buildings for repairs and outdoor storage tracks.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
transit (LRT) service in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
operated by OC Transpo
OC Transpo
OC Transpo is the urban transit service of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. An integrated hub-and-spoke system of services is available consisting of: regular buses travelling on fixed routes in mixed traffic, typical of most urban transit systems; a bus rapid transit system — a high...
. The present line runs north-south on a railway line, from Bayview to Greenboro, a distance of approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi). It is entirely isolated from road traffic, but shared with other trains; after operating hours the track has been infrequently used by Ottawa Central
Ottawa Central Railway
The Ottawa Central Railway is a Canadian shortline railway subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway. The headquarters are at the Walkley Yard, 3141 Albion Road South, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada....
for freight service to the National Research Council
National Research Council of Canada
The National Research Council is an agency of the Government of Canada which conducts scientific research and development.- History :...
.
Various explanations for the system’s name have been suggested; however, it was first put forth by copywriter Tom Gerylo at an Ottawa advertising agency working for OC Transpo. The name O-Train was based on the classic Duke Ellington signature tune "Take the 'A' Train", which refers to a New York City Subway service
A (New York City Subway service)
The A Eighth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. Its route bullet is colored blue on route signs, station signs, and the official subway map since it runs on the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan....
. In French, it is pronounced similarly to 'au train,' ('by train'). It survived an internal OC Transpo naming competition and was adopted soon after.
Since its opening on October 15, 2001, the O-Train hit the 1-millionth rider mark on May 29, 2002, the 5-millionth mark on January 21, 2005, and the 10-million in late 2010.
Pilot project
The O-Train was introduced in 2001 as a pilot project to provide an alternative to the buswaysBus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
on which Ottawa had long depended exclusively for its high-grade transit service (see Ottawa Rapid Transit
Ottawa Rapid Transit
In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the public transit service operated by OC Transpo has two rapid transit systems: the Transitway, a bus rapid transit network, and the O-Train, a diesel-powered light rail transit service operated on one line.-Major routes:...
).
The present system uses three diesel-powered Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
Talent BR643
Talent (train)
The Talent is a multiple unit railcar manufactured by Bombardier that was developed by Waggonfabrik Talbot in Aachen shortly before the company was acquired by Bombardier in 1995...
low-floor diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
trains. It is legally considered a mainline railway despite being used for local public transport purposes, and the service it provides at present is, in terms of its route and service frequency, more like that of an urban railway than a metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
or tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way. OC Transpo operates it under the official name of ‘Capital Railway’, which appears on the trains along with their regular logo. 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 Talents, though designed for mainline railways in Europe, are much smaller and lighter than most mainline trains in North America, and do not meet the AAR's standards for crash strength. Ottawa is also authorized to run trains with only a single operator and no other crew, something quite rare on mainline railways in North America.
As a pilot project, the O-Train system was built at the cost of $
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
21 million, relatively little compared with the hundreds of millions of dollars usually required to build a new transit line. It runs on a pre-existing Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
track (Ellwood and Prescott
Prescott, Ontario
Prescott is a town of approximately 4,180 people on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canada. The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge, 5 km east of Prescott in Johnstown, connects it with Ogdensburg, New York...
subdivisions,) so the only construction work necessary was to build the stations themselves and the passing tracks necessary to allow trains to operate in both directions. The downside to this, however, is that much ground pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
remains from the track’s previous use. This will become a liability one day when the city has to pay to clean it up, which it has thus far avoided by not digging into the ground under the tracks.
The current service frequency of a train every fifteen minutes makes it possible to run the line with a fleet of only three trains (of which only two are in service at any given time) and a single track apart from passing sidings at Carleton station
Carleton Station (OC Transpo)
Carleton O-Train Station is located at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.Carleton is currently the only O-Train station with separate tracks and platforms for each direction, in order to allow the two trains working the otherwise single-track line at any given time to pass...
; if service is to be increased significantly in the future, double tracks and more trains will be needed.
Ottawa’s three Talent units were built by Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
as part of a larger order for Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
’s regional network, and the only significant difference between them and the German units is that their on-board toilets have been decommissioned. As well, the luggage racks have been blocked, although this seemed not to be a problem with the train's operation in Germany. Deutsche Bahn’s red-and-white colour scheme was deemed similar enough to OC Transpo’s livery that the trains did not need to be repainted. The trains were purchased under an agreement under which they could be sold back to Bombardier if they were replaced or retired, but the agreement has since expired.
As of mid 2011, the O-Train carried an average of approximately 12,000 riders each day.
Route description
- BayviewBayview Station (OC Transpo)Bayview Station is a transitway and O-Train station in Ottawa, Ontario. The bus stop is at the eastern end of Scott Street when it becomes Wellington Street. The O-Train station, the northern terminus of the current line, is located on a stub-end track branching off from the railway line,...
provides an interchange with the TransitwayOttawa Rapid TransitIn Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the public transit service operated by OC Transpo has two rapid transit systems: the Transitway, a bus rapid transit network, and the O-Train, a diesel-powered light rail transit service operated on one line.-Major routes:...
and is the closest station to downtown Ottawa. It is located on a stub-end track branching off from the railway line, immediately under the Wellington Street and Transitway overpasses. - CarlingCarling Station (OC Transpo)Carling O-Train Station an O-Train station, one block west of the intersection of Carling Avenue and Preston Street in Ottawa, Ontario. It is near Dow's Lake the western terminal of the Rideau Canal skating rink and a key site during the Canadian Tulip Festival in May. The station is also near...
is located at Carling AvenueCarling AvenueCarling Avenue is a major east-west arterial road in the west end of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from March Road in Kanata to Bronson Avenue in the Glebe...
and Preston StreetPreston Street (Ottawa)Preston Street is a street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, running between Wellington Street and Carling Avenue. It is the main commercial district in Little Italy, home to numerous small business and Italian restaurants, and is synonymous with "Little Italy" to many Ottawa residents when referring to...
. South of Carling, the train enters a tunnel to pass under Dow's LakeDow's LakeDow's Lake in Ottawa, Canada is a small man-made lake on the Rideau Canal, situated two kilometres north of Hog's Back Falls in the middle of Ottawa. It is at the south end of Preston Street, just south of Carling Avenue, and just to the west of Bronson Avenue...
. - CarletonCarleton Station (OC Transpo)Carleton O-Train Station is located at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.Carleton is currently the only O-Train station with separate tracks and platforms for each direction, in order to allow the two trains working the otherwise single-track line at any given time to pass...
serves Carleton UniversityCarleton UniversityCarleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
, and is the location of the only passing loopPassing loopA passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
on the route, with the consequence that Carleton is the only station with separate tracks and platforms for each direction. The schedule is timed such that the southbound train arrives first and moves onto the platform siding, and then proceeds once the northbound train has entered the station. South of Carleton, the train crosses over the Rideau RiverRideau Riverthumb|Rapids on the Rideau River opposite [[Carleton University]].The Rideau River is a Southern Ontario river which flows north from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Ontario. Its length is 146 km...
on a bridge. - ConfederationConfederation Station (OC Transpo)Confederation O-Train Station is an O-Train station located near Heron Road and Bronson Avenue in Ottawa, Ontario, which primarily serves the Government of Canada offices in the Confederation Heights area, and students from Brookfield High School...
is located at Heron RoadHeron Road (Ottawa)Heron Road is a major road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from Walkley Road at an angle to the Rideau River, where it turns into Baseline Road. Heron is home to the Public Works and Government Services Canada headquarters, as well as the Canada Post headquarters and the Edward Drake Building...
and Bronson AvenueBronson Avenue (Ottawa)Bronson Avenue is a major north-south arterial road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from downtown at Sparks Street in the north through Centretown, past the Glebe and Carleton University and turns into the Airport Parkway, which is an expressway to the Macdonald-Cartier International...
, and primarily serves Government of CanadaGovernment of CanadaThe Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
offices in the Confederation Heights area. - GreenboroGreenboro Station (OC Transpo)Greenboro Station in Ottawa, Ontario is a stop on the transitway, and is the current southern terminus of the O-Train. It was expected to extend towards the south by 2009 , and the proposed East-West Line would have intersected at this station...
provides an interchange with a large TransitwayOttawa Rapid TransitIn Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the public transit service operated by OC Transpo has two rapid transit systems: the Transitway, a bus rapid transit network, and the O-Train, a diesel-powered light rail transit service operated on one line.-Major routes:...
station, which has a large park-and-ridePark and ridePark and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
lot and is located next to the South Keys Shopping Centre. The O-Train platform is level with the pedestrian overpass crossing the Transitway.
At the station
Ticketing on the O-Train works entirely on a proof-of-payment basis; there are no ticket barriers or turnstiles, and the driver does not check fares. Occasionally, OC Transpo employees wait at stations and require proof of payment. Tickets can be purchased from a vending machine on the platform, and certain bus passes are also valid for the O-Train. O-Train tickets are exchanged for bus transfers upon boarding a bus. Although bus transfers can be used to board the O-Train, prepaid bus tickets cannot.
Paper schedules rather than electronic signs are posted at the stations to supply departure information. At the Carling and Confederation stations, signs are posted indicating the direction of travel for northbound and southbound trains; Carleton has separate platforms, and from Bayview and Greenboro trains travel in only one direction.
The O-Train stations have sheltered waiting areas for passengers, but at three stations these are only large bus-style shelters beside the tracks. The exceptions are Carling, where an elevator building is required since the tracks are below street level, and Greenboro, where a covered walkway extends towards the nearby South Keys Shopping Centre. All stations have level boarding platforms to allow for wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
access
Accessibility
Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
and easier boarding for all passengers.
The European train cars 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 is constructed on its own private rail spur). Passengers gain access to the O-Train on these extenders, three sets of which are visible in the above photo (at the location of the solid yellow platform markings). 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.
On board the train
Despite their diesel engines, the trains are quite comfortable; even for passengers sitting directly above the motors, the ride is quiet and smooth. Seats are arranged with two on each side of the carriage, and the rows alternate facing directions, such that half the seats are facing forward in either direction of travel.
The interior is clearly one designed for a mainline train; there are only a few poles for standing passengers, mostly located around the doors and closely integrated into the train’s overall design. There are no advertisements on board the trains despite the available space on what are in fact plastic covers over what traditionally would be overhead storage areas; viewable through the slats from below. These areas were presumably cordoned off in order to reduce litter and to improve safety however this often means more cramped quarters, especially during peak travel times. Although the trains consist of three carriages, they are connected such that it is possible to walk from one end to the other; the only noticeable divisions between the carriages are a short articulated section in the walls and a slight ramp over the dividing line. The trains have low floors, but the half-carriages at the ends of the trains have high floors with several steps up, to provide room for under-floor motors. The doors into the cabs are clear, allowing passengers to see in, but some drivers prefer to pull curtains across.
There are no maps posted on the trains, but electronic screens in each carriage and recorded voice messages announce the stations as they come up. The station announcements and all signs are bilingual in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
; a few features of the trains, such as the buttons touched to open the doors, are also marked in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
as a result of their design heritage.
Awards
In June 2002 the O-Train Light Rail Transit project received the Canadian Urban Transit AssociationCanadian Urban Transit Association
Canadian Urban Transit Association is a trade association for the urban transit industry in Canada.-History:It was originally established in 1904 as the "Canadian Street Railway Association"...
’s Corporate Innovation Award.
On January 16th, 2003 the Ontario Chapter of the American Public Works Association
American Public Works Association
The American Public Works Association is a not-for-profit, professional association of public works agencies, private companies, and individuals dedicated to promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge...
presented the City of Ottawa
City of Ottawa
The City of Ottawa is the corporate entity of municipal government in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The corporation is responsible for provision of services to the public as well as enforcement of municipal by-laws...
, Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and Morrison Hershfield
Morrison Hershfield
Morrison Hershfield is an employee-owned professional services firm providing engineering and management consulting services in the areas of energy and...
, with the APWA’S Public Works Project of the Year award in the Transportation Category. This award was established to highlight the excellence in 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 O-Train light rail transit project received was in May 2003, in the sustainable transportation category of the FCM-CH2M Hill Sustainable Community Awards.
Criticism of pilot project
The main complaints about the O-Train pilot have revolved around its placement and ridership levels. Some say that as the O-Train's route was determined by existing railway tracks, it serves areas that were in little need of a new transit connection, instead of parts of the city which are hard to reach by public transport, which would require new tracks to be laid. Carleton UniversityCarleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
students would probably disagree, since they are the main group to have benefited from the O-Train pilot project, and if they live in the areas serviced by the train, they no longer have to ride buses through traffic to get to the University campus.
The other criticism is that the trains receive very low ridership compared to some very crowded bus lines such as Route 95, and some believe that the money should be spent accommodating the most people possible on the current network, instead of paying for expensive side projects. It should be noted, however, that one fully loaded O-Train carries 285 passengers compared to 131 passengers for an articulated bus
Articulated bus
An articulated bus is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-deck design, and comprises two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint...
, so the objection is more relevant to the O-Train schedule, which is limited by current track capacity. The current system is unquestionably limited, but, as a pilot project, many of these limitations are intentional.
Early extension plans
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 the University of Ottawa, and south-west from its Greenboro
Greenboro Station (OC Transpo)
Greenboro Station in Ottawa, Ontario is a stop on the transitway, and is the current southern terminus of the O-Train. It was expected to extend towards the south by 2009 , and the proposed East-West Line would have intersected at this station...
terminus to the growing Riverside South community and Barrhaven
Barrhaven, Ontario
Barrhaven is a rapidly growing suburban neighbourhood in the southwest of the urban area of the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, about southwest of downtown Ottawa. Prior to amalgamation with Ottawa in 2001, Barrhaven was part of the City of Nepean. Its population as of the Canada 2006 Census was...
. Much of the route would have run through the currently undeveloped Riverside South area, and it was hoped that the train would allow a large new suburb to be constructed in the area south of the airport. The line itself would not have connected to the airport. Construction of the extension would have been scheduled to begin in the autumn of 2006, resulting in the shutdown of operations in May 2007, and 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 tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s more suitable for on-street operation in the downtown area, by the Siemens S70 Avanto
Avanto (tram)
The Siemens S70 or Avanto is a low-floor light rail vehicle or tram manufactured by Siemens AG. In the United States, Siemens refers to this model only as the S70, while the Avanto name is used in Europe....
(due to the ‘design, build, and maintain’ contracting process which has focused upon the bid proposing this vehicle). Other bids had proposed the Bombardier Flexity Swift
Flexity Swift
The Flexity Swift tram is a family of urban and inter-urban light-rail vehicles manufactured by Bombardier Transportation for a wide number of customers across Europe...
and a Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...
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 a mainline railway for legal purposes).
The estimated cost of the North-South expansion would have been just under $
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
780 million (not including the proposed maintenance facility), making the project the largest in the City's history since the Rideau Canal
Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...
project. The federal and provincial governments had each promised $200 million for the expansion, with the City of Ottawa contributing the remainder of the cost using funds from various sources including the Provincial Gas 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
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
terminus through to Hurdman Station.
Expansion controversies
The north-south expansion planning process became a source of great controversy. It was a major issue in the 2006 municipal electionOttawa municipal election, 2006
The 2006 Ottawa municipal election was held on November 13, 2006, in Ottawa, Canada, to elect the mayor of Ottawa, Ottawa City Council and the Ottawa-Carleton Public and Catholic School Boards. The election was one of many races across the province of Ontario...
. The incumbent mayor Bob Chiarelli
Bob Chiarelli
Robert "Bob" Chiarelli is a Canadian politician. He served in the Ontario Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 1997, and was subsequently re-elected to the legislature in 2010 after serving as regional chair and mayor of Ottawa from 1997 to 2006...
had long been the main advocate for light rail in Ottawa. Terry Kilrea
Terry Kilrea
Terry Kilrea is an aspiring politician from Ottawa.-2003 election:Kilrea ran for mayor of Ottawa in the 2003 municipal election on a platform that included opposition to light rail expansion, opposition to official bilingualism, abolition of the ban on smoking in public places, and an increase of...
, 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 the entire light rail project to be scrapped. Mayoral candidate Alex Munter
Alex Munter
Alexander Mathias Munter is a former politician and journalist in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario....
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
Larry O'Brien (Canadian politician)
Lawrence Robert O'Brien , was the 58th mayor of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He is also a current director of Calian Technologies Ltd. and its former CEO and chairman....
, a businessman who entered the race late, wanted to postpone the project for six months before making a final decision.
Transport 2000
Transport 2000 Canada
Transport 2000 Canada is a non-profit, consumer-based organization that promotes sustainable transport through advocacy and education. It is concerned with all modes of public transport, such as passenger train service, aviation including air safety, and urban transit.The association functions as a...
president David Jeanes, a long time supporter of light rail in Ottawa and a member of the City of Ottawa'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, disagree with Jeanes's assessment.
The plan was criticized from all sides, and numerous alternatives were proposed, including Alex Munter
Alex Munter
Alexander Mathias Munter is a former politician and journalist in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario....
's plan, the "Practical Plan" by the Friends of the O-Train, and the Ottawa Transit group plan.
Cancellation of expansion
Ottawa Sun
The Ottawa Sun is a daily tabloid newspaper in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is published by Sun Media. It was first published in the early 1980s as the Ottawa Sunday Herald, until it was acquired by Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation in 1988....
article had reported on December 5 that if the project were cancelled, there could be lawsuits by Siemens against the City of Ottawa totalling as much as $1 billion.
With those possibilities, new mayor Larry O'Brien
Larry O'Brien (Canadian politician)
Lawrence Robert O'Brien , was the 58th mayor of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He is also a current director of Calian Technologies Ltd. and its former CEO and chairman....
opted to keep the extension to Barrhaven while eliminating the portion that would run from Lebreton Flats
Lebreton Flats
LeBreton Flats is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Canada. It lies to the west of Centretown neighbourhood, and to the north of Centretown West with "Nanny Goat Hill" as the dividing line...
to the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
. However, Council have 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. Council voted by a margin of 12-11 in favour of continuing the project, but without the downtown section. An environmental assessment will be conducted on the possibility of building a tunnel through downtown. Another attempt made by Councillor Gord Hunter
Gord Hunter
Gordon Hunter was an Ottawa City Councillor. He represented Knoxdale-Merivale Ward. On January 31, 2010, he announced that he would not be running re-election to city council in 2010....
to review the project later failed. At the same time, the Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
government was also reviewing the project before securing their $200 million funding. However, it 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
Rainer Bloess
Rainer Bloess is a member of Ottawa City Council. He represents Ward 2 - Innes covering some of the city's eastern suburbs. He was originally a member of the city council of Gloucester, being elected to that council in 1994 on a cost cutting platform. He lives in the suburban community of...
, who was absent during the previous vote, Council decided to cancel the project by a margin of 13-11 despite the possibility of lawsuits from Siemens, the contract holder. It was reported on 2006-02-07 that the cost of the cancelled project was about $73 million.
However, on February 14, 2007, it was reported that Siemens wrote a letter to the City of Ottawa 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 officially cancel the contract. The second proposal was to re-launch the project with an additional price tag of $70 million to the cost of the original project. Councillor Diane Deans
Diane Deans
Diane Elisabeth Deans is a member of Ottawa City Council, Canada, representing Gloucester-Southgate Ward in the city's south-east.A graduate of the University of Guelph she was active in the Canadian Federation of Students. Deans was first elected to Ottawa city council in 1994...
had tabled a motion for a debate on 2007-02-23 but it was later cancelled. A poll conducted by the mayor's office showed that a majority of south-end residents disagreed about the cancellation of the project but only a third wanted to revive it.
East-west line
The city has 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 have explored the possibility of using the current 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 current diesel-powered trains on that route are uncertain. It was once thought Transport CanadaTransport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
might not approve their use on the existing tracks for an east-west system, since they would have to be shared with other mainline trains.
Other possibilities
Carling Station (OC Transpo)
Carling O-Train Station an O-Train station, one block west of the intersection of Carling Avenue and Preston Street in Ottawa, Ontario. It is near Dow's Lake the western terminal of the Rideau Canal skating rink and a key site during the Canadian Tulip Festival in May. The station is also near...
station westward to Bayshore and Bells Corners
Bells Corners, Ontario
Bells Corners is a suburban community in the city of Ottawa, Canada. As of the Canada 2006 Census, it had a population of 9,799.-History:...
, and from the Rideau Centre
Rideau Centre
Rideau Centre is a three-level shopping centre on Rideau Street in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It borders on Rideau Street , the Rideau Canal, the Mackenzie King Bridge, and Nicholas Street....
south-east to the area of Innes Road and Blair Road via Rideau Street, Montreal Road, and Blair Road. The City of Ottawa has conducted a $4 million Environmental Assessment Study for these two corridors. There were also possibilities of a rail link to Hurdman Station
Hurdman Station (OC Transpo)
Hurdman Transitway Station is a station on Ottawa's transitway. Hurdman is one of the busier stations, perhaps the busiest, as it is the main hub of the transitway network east of downtown. Hurdman is where the main transitway route from downtown to west branches off in two directions: one to the...
.
Service to Gatineau
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
would also be possible (and desirable, considering the potential base of commuters), as there is a railway bridge
Prince of Wales Bridge
The Prince of Wales Bridge is a rail bridge across the Ottawa River joining Ottawa, Ontario to Gatineau, Quebec. It connected with the Canadian Pacific Railway line just west of Lebreton Flats, and crosses the south channel of the river to Lemieux Island; it then continues across the northern...
over the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
nearby, but the government of Gatineau is opposed to extending the O-Train into their territory; Ottawa's city staff have taken steps to isolate the current north-south line from the bridge, so it would need to be re-built north of Bayview station. A line running into Gatineau is not included in the current plans for expansion up to 2021, but the city is keeping this option open through its track acquisitions.
Mayor's Committee on Transportation
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 2007-06-01, this report was presented to the Mayor, and was subsequently released to the media and the public on 2007-06-06. This report was criticized by some for planning service to Smiths Falls and Arnprior while neglecting to plan service to Rockland and Embrun, which are rapidly growing communities east of Ottawa .The committee, headed by former Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister David Collenette
David Collenette
David Michael Collenette, PC was a Canadian politician from 1974 to 2004, and a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. A graduate from York University's Glendon College in 1969, he subsequently received his MA from in 2004...
, recommended that Ottawa's needs will be best served by light rail through the future. This plan calls for expansion of the system using current rail rights-of-way and stations (Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
, CP Rail, and Ottawa Central Railway), constructing new stations and a tunnel through the downtown core, going through the former Union Station (now currently the Government of Canada Conference Centre
Government Conference Centre
The Government Conference Centre is a government building in downtown Ottawa, Canada, located at 2 Rideau Street. It is situated at the intersection of Wellington Street and the Rideau Canal, just a short distance from the Parliament buildings and Confederation Square, and across the street from...
). The plan initially calls 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, the plan calls 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 feels that this can be completed for between $600 million to $900 million, including the downtown tunnel portion, within the next 5–10 years.
New transit plan
On November 28, 2007, 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 StationLincoln Fields Station (OC Transpo)
Lincoln Fields Station is a station on Ottawa's transitway located at Carling Avenue and the Ottawa River Parkway. It is adjacent but not connected to nearby Lincoln Heights Galleria Shopping Centre. It is the main western hub of the transitway system and has a ticket sales and information office...
at the Queensway
Highway 417 (Ontario)
King's Highway 417, also known as Highway 417 and the Queensway through Ottawa is a 400-series highways in the Canadian province of Ontario which connects Montreal with Ottawa. It is the backbone of the transportation system in the Ottawa region, where it forms part of the Queensway along with...
via the current 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 the suburbs. One of the plans includes 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 are estimated at least $3 billion in total including $1 billion for the downtown tunnel.
The majority of the public were in support of a downtown tunnel as well as the fourth transit option during public consultations meetings in Centretown, Barrhaven, Kanata and Orleans during 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 passed City Council by a vote of 19-4, and included motions for possible rail extensions to the suburbs depending on population density and available funding. However, Kitchissippi Ward
Kitchissippi Ward
Kitchissippi Ward is a city ward in the city of Ottawa, Canada. It gets its name from the Algonquin word for Great River. The ward is slightly west of downtown, and covers the neighbourhoods of Broadview, Champlain Park, Civic Hospital, Hampton Park, Highland Park, Hintonburg, Island Park,...
councillor Christine Leadman
Christine Leadman
Christine Leadman was a city councillor in Ottawa, Canada. She won the position for Kitchissippi Ward councillor in the 2006 Ottawa municipal election on 13 November 2006 after incumbent Shawn Little dropped out of the race. She only served one term however, losing the 2010 election...
expressed concerns of the environment integrity impacts of light-rail along the Ottawa River Parkway
Ottawa River Parkway
The Ottawa River Parkway is a four-lane scenic parkway along the Ottawa River in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from Carling Avenue near Connaught Avenue, to Booth Street at the Canadian War Museum. It is maintained by the National Capital Commission. The speed limit is , enforced by the Royal...
which is situated on NCC land. At least three councillors including Leadman, Capital Ward
Capital Ward
Capital Ward is a city ward located in the centre of Ottawa, Ontario. Situated just south of downtown Ottawa, the ward includes the communities of Old Ottawa East, Old Ottawa South, the Glebe, Heron Park, Carleton University and Riverside...
councillor Clive Doucet
Clive Doucet
Clive Doucet is a Canadian writer and politician.Doucet was born in 1946 in London, England to an Acadian serviceman and an English war bride. Doucet grew up in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. He also spent some of his youth in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Doucet was raised as a Catholic,...
and Kanata North Ward
Kanata North Ward
Kanata North Ward is a ward in the city of Ottawa,Ontario, Canada. The ward was created in 2006 when its precessor, Kanata Ward, split in two main parts. The original Kanata Ward covered all of the former City of Kanata...
councillor Marianne Wilkinson
Marianne Wilkinson
Marianne Wilkinson is the Councillor of Kanata North in the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She is a long-time resident of Kanata and a veteran public servant in that former city. She served as Kanata's first mayor following its incorporation...
expressed preferences of light-rail service along Carling Avenue instead of the Parkway although rail would run through many traffic lights and stops. The NCC has also suggested the city to consider other options then the Ottawa River Parkway while all three Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
candidates for the 2008 federal elections
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, including incumbent New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
MP Paul Dewar
Paul Dewar
Paul W. Dewar is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Ottawa Centre.Dewar is a member of the New Democratic Party and was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2006 federal election...
, Liberal candidate Penny Collenette and Conservative candidate Brian McGarry have also expressed opposition to rail on 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
Richmond Road (Ottawa)
Richmond Road is a major road in Eastern Ontario, Canada.Richmond Road begins as a western continuation of Wellington Street West in Ottawa, beyond the intersection at Island Park Drive, a division point moved west a few blocks from Western Avenue, the historical township boundary, in 2005. It...
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 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 a downtown tunnel as well as the construction of a by-pass transit corridor via the General Hospital as well as a streetcar circuit along Carling Avenue although Alex Cullen mentioned that Council already rejected the option of streetcars running on that road. The first phase is planned to be completed by 2018.
East-west line
Current plans call for a second east-west LRT line starting at Tunney's PastureTunney's Pasture Station (OC Transpo)
Tunney's Pasture Station is a stop on the transitway in Ottawa, Ontario. It is located at the Tunney's Pasture government office complex, on Scott Street at Holland Avenue.The transitway in the area is in a below-grade 'trench' parallel to Scott Street...
to Blair
Blair Station (OC Transpo)
Blair Station is a station on Ottawa's transitway located at Blair Road and Regional Road 174. It is the eastern terminal for most weekday peak morning trips of Route 101 , several weekday trips of route 96 and crosstown route 12...
in the east end, with a tunnel running under Downtown. The line is expected to open sometime between 2017 and 2019.
Stations
There will be 13 stations along the LRT line.- Tunney's PastureTunney's Pasture Station (OC Transpo)Tunney's Pasture Station is a stop on the transitway in Ottawa, Ontario. It is located at the Tunney's Pasture government office complex, on Scott Street at Holland Avenue.The transitway in the area is in a below-grade 'trench' parallel to Scott Street...
- BayviewBayview Station (OC Transpo)Bayview Station is a transitway and O-Train station in Ottawa, Ontario. The bus stop is at the eastern end of Scott Street when it becomes Wellington Street. The O-Train station, the northern terminus of the current line, is located on a stub-end track branching off from the railway line,...
, A major transfer point between the future east-west line and the current north-south line. - LeBreton FlatsLebreton Station (OC Transpo)Lebreton Station is a stop on the transitway in Ottawa. It is located in the Lebreton Flats area, near the intersection of Wellington Street and Booth Street...
, Improving transit connections with GatineauGatineauGatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
and create a new transit node along Booth Street. - Downtown West, Located under Queen Street, replacing the current BayBay Station (OC Transpo)Bay Transitway Station is a bus stop on Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's transitway served by OC Transpo buses. It is located in the central transitway section at Bay Street, with two substations on Albert Street and Slater Street....
and KentKent Station (OC Transpo)Kent Transitway Station is a bus-stop on Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's transitway served by OC Transpo buses. It is located in the central transitway section, appearing on both Albert Street and Slater Street....
stations and with possible integration with Place de VillePlace de VillePlace de Ville is a complex of office towers in downtown Ottawa. It currently consists of four buildings, Place de Ville A, B, and C, and the 'Podium' building, two large hotels, and the city's largest underground parking garage. The buildings are linked by an underground shopping complex...
. - Downtown East, Located under Queen Street, replacing the current BankBank Station (OC Transpo)Bank Transitway Station or Bank Street Station is a bus-stop on Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's transitway served by OC Transpo buses. It is located on the central transitway, which is part of the 95 line, 96 line and 97 line. Bank is named for Bank Street which is located perpendicular to the...
and MetcalfeMetcalfe Station (OC Transpo)Metcalfe Station is a bus station on OC Transpo's Central Transitway. There are two parts of the station, as the Transitway runs on two parallel streets. The north station serves westbound traffic, and is found on Albert Street, and the south station serves eastbound traffic, and is found on...
stations. - RideauRideau CentreRideau Centre is a three-level shopping centre on Rideau Street in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It borders on Rideau Street , the Rideau Canal, the Mackenzie King Bridge, and Nicholas Street....
, Located near the current Rideau Transit Mall, underneath the Government Conference CentreGovernment Conference CentreThe Government Conference Centre is a government building in downtown Ottawa, Canada, located at 2 Rideau Street. It is situated at the intersection of Wellington Street and the Rideau Canal, just a short distance from the Parliament buildings and Confederation Square, and across the street from...
(the former Union Station). Replaces the existing Mackenzie KingMackenzie King Station (OC Transpo)Mackenzie King Station is a major station on the OC Transpo transitway. It is served by all three of OC Transpo's principal routes along with all express routes and several crosstown routes...
station. - CampusCampus Station (OC Transpo)Campus Transitway Station is a station on Ottawa's transitway. The stop number is 3021, located just east of the Rideau Canal at the western terminus of Somerset Street East, the station services the University of Ottawa's southern section and the Sandy Hill neighbourhood...
, Replacing the current Campus and LaurierLaurier Station (OC Transpo)Laurier Transitway Station is at a three-street intersection where the Mackenzie King Bridge and Waller Street meet the OC Transpo Transitway, very close to Nicholas Street. Stewart Street begins at Waller Street a few metres away...
stations serving the University of OttawaUniversity of OttawaThe University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
. - LeesLees Station (OC Transpo)Lees Transitway Station is a station on Ottawa's transitway. It is located south of the Queensway just to the west of the Rideau River. It serves the Lees Avenue region and the Sandy Hill Heights community....
- HurdmanHurdman Station (OC Transpo)Hurdman Transitway Station is a station on Ottawa's transitway. Hurdman is one of the busier stations, perhaps the busiest, as it is the main hub of the transitway network east of downtown. Hurdman is where the main transitway route from downtown to west branches off in two directions: one to the...
, A major transfer point between LRT and the Southeast Transitway. - TrainTrain Station (OC Transpo)Train Station is a station on Ottawa's transitway. Despite its name, it is a bus stop on the transitway system, not a train station. However, it is connected to Ottawa's main railway station....
, A transfer point to the Via RailVIA RailVia Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
stationOttawa Train StationOttawa Station in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, located at 200 Tremblay Road, is served by Via Rail inter-city trains connecting it to Toronto and Montreal. OC Transpo’s Train rapid transit station carries railway passengers into the city centre or into the eastern suburbs.The station was designed by...
. - St. LaurentSt. Laurent Station (OC Transpo)St. Laurent Station is a station on Ottawa's transitway located at St. Laurent Boulevard and the Queensway. This station is the most integrated to its surroundings with direct indoor pedestrian access to the St. Laurent Shopping Centre...
, integrated with the St. Laurent Shopping CentreSt. Laurent Shopping CentreSt. Laurent Shopping Centre is a major shopping centre located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada owned and operated by Morguard REIT. The shopping mall is located just north of Highway 417 at the corner of St. Laurent Boulevard and Coventry Road. It opened its doors in 1967.St...
. - CyrvilleCyrville Station (OC Transpo)Cyrville Station is a station on Ottawa's transitway located at Cyrville Road and the Queensway...
- BlairBlair Station (OC Transpo)Blair Station is a station on Ottawa's transitway located at Blair Road and Regional Road 174. It is the eastern terminal for most weekday peak morning trips of Route 101 , several weekday trips of route 96 and crosstown route 12...
, a major transfer point between the future LRT and Route 95OC Transpo Route 95OC Transpo Route 95 is the Ottawa transit network's busiest route, running on the Transitway across the city. The termination points are located at Marketplace, at Fallowfield Station and in Orléans, at Place d'Orleans. Weekday trips may be extended to Trim Station, a few minutes east of Place...
to OrleansOrléans, OntarioOrleans , also written Orléans, is a suburban area within the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the eastern part of the city along the Ottawa River, about from downtown Ottawa. The Canada 2006 Census gave Orleans a population of 95,491. It became a ward of the City of Ottawa in 2001...
.
Expansion of existing line
On 18 May 2011, the Ottawa Transit Commission approved C$Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
200,000 to study extending the existing O-Train line southwards to Leitrim
Leitrim, Ontario
Leitrim is a suburban community and a developing neighbourhood, to Ottawa's rural south in Ontario, Canada, named after the Irish County Leitrim....
and Riverside South. The proposed extension was part of a C$59 million expansion that would include the purchase of six new trainsets and track improvements that would increase headways to eight minutes from fifteen.
Fleet
The O-Train fleet has three trains of three cars each. The front and rear cars are powered and the centre towed. There is no fleet numbering: cars are identified by the letter C and a number (C1, C2, C3).| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Routes operated | Built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||||
| Talent Talent (train) The Talent is a multiple unit railcar manufactured by Bombardier that was developed by Waggonfabrik Talbot in Aachen shortly before the company was acquired by Bombardier in 1995... BR643 |
Diesel multiple unit Diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:... |
62 | 100 | 3 | Bayview–Greenboro | 2001 | |
In September 2011, Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
announced that they are to supply six new Coradia Lint trains, to be delivered in 2013.
Facilities
Train sets are stored at the Walkley Yard located northeast of the Greenboro station. Maintenance is provided by Bombardier TransportationBombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
. Trains are towed to the site by Ottawa Central Railway
Ottawa Central Railway
The Ottawa Central Railway is a Canadian shortline railway subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway. The headquarters are at the Walkley Yard, 3141 Albion Road South, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada....
locomotives, thus there are no work vehicles for the O-Train fleet.
The Walkley Yard was built in 1955 by the National Capital Commission
National Capital Commission
The National Capital Commission , is a Canadian Crown corporation that administers the federally owned lands and buildings in Canada's National Capital Region, including Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec.The NCC was created in 1959, replacing the Federal District Commission , which had been...
for the Canadian National Railways and later sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
.
The yard has enclosed buildings for repairs and outdoor storage tracks.
- Year: 1955 (as O-Train facility 2001)
- Building: Yes
- Location: Albion Road North and Kitchener Avenue
- Status: Active
See also
- Bombardier TalentTalent (train)The Talent is a multiple unit railcar manufactured by Bombardier that was developed by Waggonfabrik Talbot in Aachen shortly before the company was acquired by Bombardier in 1995...
- List of rapid transit systems
- Ottawa Rapid TransitOttawa Rapid TransitIn Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the public transit service operated by OC Transpo has two rapid transit systems: the Transitway, a bus rapid transit network, and the O-Train, a diesel-powered light rail transit service operated on one line.-Major routes:...
- Prince of Wales Bridge
- Rapibus
External links
- O-Train official site (with information about current service)
- O-Train News
- Capital Railway certificate of fitness
- O-Train Evaluation Report
- O-Train Light Rail Project Summary (Transport Canada)
- O-Train construction pictures
- Salient Features of the Ottawa O Train Route
- Critical Analysis of Ottawa's Proposed North-South Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project
- Save Our Greenspace
- Friends of the O-Train and the new site: Friends of the O-Train
- Ottawa Light Rail official site (contains blog entries with updates regarding the project)