O-Train Turns Two

Ottawa – Today marks the award-winning O-Train’s second anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, City staff served coffee to 800 passengers arriving at the Carleton University O-Train station this morning. 

The City of Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) project has accomplished a great deal in just two years. The O-Train won the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Sustainable Communities Award in May. Other awards include the Canadian Urban Transit Association’s Corporate Innovation Award, and the American Public Works Association’s Project of the Year Award. 

Trains on Ottawa’s LRT system formerly ran every 20 minutes but now run every 15 minutes, thanks to the recent installation of continuous welded rail. Ridership has topped 8,000 passengers per day, an increase of about 25% over last year (6,300) and well above the benchmark for success (6,400) set at the beginning of the pilot project. 

The City plans to expand the O-Train and will proceed with the next steps outlined in Ottawa’s Rapid Transit Expansion Plan (ORTEP) Implementation Strategy. The next stretch of LRT will begin with an environmental assessment study covering the connection of the existing O-Train line at Bayview station to the Rideau Centre, and Greenboro sation to the airport and Limebank Road in Riverside South. City staff will also conduct an environmental assessment on the East-West LRT corridor.  

The City also intends to continue negotiations with both the federal and provincial governments to receive at least one third of the funding for ORTEP from each level of government, and will be exploring public-private partnerships for LRT expansion.  

Transit customers can obtain trip-planning and scheduling information for the O-Train or any other OC Transpo route by calling 741-4390, or 560-1000 plus their transit stop number, or by visiting www.octranspo.com.       

For more information:       

Communications & Marketing
(613) 580-2450