The O-Line

They don’t! Trains on O-Train Line 1 only go forward and backward, switching direction at the two terminal stations: Tunney’s Pasture and Blair. Bumper blocks are installed at either end of the line at the terminal stations to stop the train from going any further. These will be removed when Stage 2 is complete and the line extends to the east and west.

An Electric Rail Operator (ERO) is always seated at the front of the train facing in the direction it is moving. At Blair and Tunney’s you may notice the ERO switching ends, by walking from one end of the train to the other. Occasionally, if time is limited, the ERO guides the train into the terminal station and another ERO boards the train at the opposite end to assume control of the train as it moves out in the opposite direction.

Railway switches control the mechanisms that guide trains between two sets of parallel tracks. The O-Train Line 1 system has many switches located at different points throughout the line.

There are seven different places along Line 1 that allow a train to be moved from one track to another, using ‘track switches’. In regular operation, track 1 is intended for east to west service and track 2 is intended for west to east service. However, trains can travel in any direction at any time as needed.

At a terminal station like Blair or Tunney’s Pasture, switches allow trains to arrive and depart at both the North and Southbound platforms. Elsewhere in the system, switches can be used to move trains on and off of the line, and to divert trains around obstacles.

Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) is a communication system designed to move trains along Line 1 on a set schedule. This communication system keeps trains moving throughout the rail line while ensuring that trains maintain a safe distance in front and behind. The CBTC system can force trains to slow down, speed up or stop as necessary to ensure passenger safety and the smooth operation of the line.

In response to customer feedback, staff are altering the doors on the north and northwest sides of Tunney’s Pasture Station, connecting to the bus platforms. One set of doors is being removed and another is being pinned open to improve pedestrian traffic flow into and out of the station during peak periods. Permanent adjustments will be implemented once designs are completed.

Staff are reviewing two different design options to install a canopy at Tunney’s Pasture to provide additional weather coverage to pedestrians. Installation timing will be confirmed this week.

Staff are moving ahead with the installation of straps hanging from horizontal bars on trains. We are currently working with the vehicle manufacturer, Alstom, and with safety engineers on the placement of the straps and other considerations that are part of rail safety requirements.

We are examining several improvements to improve door reliability and minimize the impact of door issues. Updates will be provided as we progress on these items.

We have reviewed our troubleshooting process around door faults and have made adjustments to ensure that it is being applied consistently.

Staff are rolling out paper hangers on trains to reinforce messaging about train doors. Installation is scheduled to begin this weekend. Staff are also working on changing pre-recorded announcements to further assist customers with courtesy and safety at doors.

Staff are installing markings on the platform floors of all stations to guide customers on where to align at the doors to assist other customers as they step off trains. The signs at Lyon Station were installed overnight on October 17 and installation will continue throughout the system.

Staff are installing markings on platforms at key locations to encourage customers to spread out along the platform and use all of the doors while boarding.

Staff are installing floor decals at Tunney’s Pasture stations to help customers more easily identify the two trains platforms. This work is scheduled for completion this week.

Staff are currently reviewing and monitoring dwell times (the length of time train doors are open) station-by-station along Line 1, at to accommodate customer volumes. Time has been added at Parliament, uOttawa, Hurdman, Lyon, and Rideau stations.

Train operators also have the ability to extend dwell times at busy stations when required.

We have completed an assessment of the onboard TCMS systems, which monitors all the train’s systems and subsystems. The systems have been calibrated to reduce occurrences of TCMS faults. We are currently testing new TCMS software and, if the test results are positive, we will begin documenting and implementing upgrades across the fleet this month.

Dedicated technicians continue to be deployed on trains to respond to door, mechanical or system issues immediately. This deployment will continue at least until the end of December and further if necessary.

For the #reallybigservicechange, as with any network service change, we anticipate a two to three-week transition period during which customers and our operations adjust and stabilize. Some customers are changing their travel times and routes. We are monitoring all routes and tracking data and comments from Councillors, customers and staff. Based on the data and feedback, adjustments are being made where we see repetitive issues or areas of major concern.

In situations where rail service is disrupted for all or a segment of O-Train Line 1, R1 replacement bus service may be implemented. For planned service disruptions, preparations to implement R1 service will be done well in advance. Whereas for unplanned disruptions, the nature of the operational approach and decision to implement R1 service depends on various factors such as the time of day, frequency of the train service, and the nature of the disruption. Depending on the nature of the disruption, staff attempt to troubleshoot and resolve any issues and immediately begin preparations to implement R1 service, if required.

When trains can continue to operate along the line through the time of the disruption, by using a single-track for a portion of the line, and if that service provides enough capacity for all customers travelling at that time of day, then replacement bus service is typically not required. If after 15 minutes, the issue cannot be rectified, R1 service will be implemented. When R1 service is required, the replacement bus service will operate parallel to Line 1. Customers will find permanent R1 bus stops in close proximity to all Line 1 stations, audible announcements will be made to help direct customers and staff will be deployed to assist customers during a service disruption.

Many customers have provided feedback about the reliability of the original north-side elevator at Blair Station. Although this was not part of the Confederation Line construction project, staff are identifying the necessary funds to replace it with a modern elevator. Staff are working on plans and timelines and will provide further updates.

O-Train Ambassadors will continue to be deployed at Line 1 stations at least until December 2019, and further if necessary.

Suicide and suicide prevention are important public health issues. We know the devastating impact it has on families and our community. Ottawa Public Health (OPH) supports suicide prevention efforts in the community, and OC Transpo has been working closely with OPH around suicide prevention for many years. With the launch of O-Train Line 1, OPH and OC Transpo, in partnership with the Ottawa Distress Centre, worked together to develop suicide prevention messages that are known to help someone in distress on or near an O-Train Line 1 platform. This messaging is being reinforced and supplemented by messaging on octranspo.com and on social media.

On Saturday, October 19 from 7 am until 4 pm, the Rideau Transit Group (RTG) will be closing the right-hand lane on Nicholas Street northbound between uOttawa Station and Laurier Avenue. The closure is required to safely remove temporary concrete barriers. Once the barriers are removed, RTG can begin work to realign a section of median on Nicholas near uOttawa Station as well as proceed with the reconnection of Waller Street to Nicholas Street, south of Laurier Avenue. This closure will not impact traffic movement through the Nicholas/Laurier intersection.

As with all modern train systems, doors have many features to ensure safety is never compromised and all doors must be in a fully closed and locked position for trains to move.

In most cases when a door fault occurs, the Electric Rail Operator (ERO) can attend to the door and resolve the problem in a timely manner. When the ERO and a technician on site are unable to resolve the issue, the train is cleared of passengers and placed out of service.

We are taking immediate action to resolve issues, minimise delays and communicate with our customers.

We continue to remind customers not to hold doors. It is unsafe and can cause delays to service. As the train approaches a stop, customers wishing to exit the train should move towards the door. If it is not their stop, they should make space to allow other passengers to exit the train easily. Customers are also reminded to leave plenty of room on the platform for other customers exiting a train and to move away from all doors once they have boarded the train.

OC Transpo has launched a train-specific customer etiquette campaign with the opening of O-Train Line 1 to help inform our customers about best practices to keep everyone safe and moving smoothly.

To assist our customers and reduce future incidences of door faulting we are deploying customer representatives to platforms to remind customers:

• to stand clear of doorways for loading and unloading
• not to run for trains; and
• not to hold doors.

At Blair Station some bus routes have been reassigned to pick up customers at different stops, to reduce congestion on the platform and bus roadway;

At Tunney’s Pasture Station:

• To improve customer circulation, we widened the north bus platform and paved a walking path behind the shelters. We opened a similar paved area behind the shelters on the south bus platform;
• The additional space on both platforms provides more room for customers to queue and will reduce conflict between customers who are waiting or in the process of boarding and those who are walking along the platform to their stop;

A railing on the north side of Tunney’s Pasture Station has been extended to help keep customers safe along the edge of the bus roadway.

The network service change on October 6 brought into effect the full advantages of Line 1, including:

• Increases to bus reliability throughout the transit network, because most bus routes will no longer need to operate on detours or busy downtown streets;
• Re-opening all Nicholas Street lanes to general traffic; and
• Removing much bus traffic from Scott Street; and,
• Removing hundreds of bus trips from Albert and Slater streets and the Mackenzie King Bridge in Ottawa’s core.

This major bus network change is the largest service change ever in the history of Ottawa and OC Transpo. The transit network has been re-designed to take full advantage of the capacity and reliability of O-Train Line 1 as the main spine of the OC Transpo system. Approximately 100 bus routes and 240,000 customer-trips each day are affected by this change.

At Tunney’s Pasture and Blair Stations, we are staging additional buses for the morning and afternoon peak periods to ensure service reliability from stations is maintained.

To address customer concerns at Tunney’s and Blair terminal stations relating to bus transfer operations, we have made some adjustments and deployed extra resources:

• We have installed additional signage;
• We are providing additional buses;
• We have deployed additional customer service staff, supervisors and Special Constables; and
• We have also increased reminders to customers through various channels that within the paid fare zones they can board using all doors and that they do not need to tap or pay. This is one of the areas identified as adding extra time to the operations that is not required at Tunney’s and Blair terminal stations.

In the event of a delay to service on O-Train Line 1, OC Transpo has a communication plan in place to alert customers of the delay and provide them with timely service updates so that, if required, they can consider alternatives and adjust their travel plans accordingly.

OC Transpo alerts customers about train delays using the following channels:

• Audio announcements on trains;
• Information displayed on screens in trains;
• Audio announcements in stations;
• Alerts displayed on information screens in stations;
• octranspo.com (both on home page banner and in the service updates);
• Subscription-based SMS and email notifications;
• Automated telephone recordings on the customer service and information line; and, in some cases,
• Signage at stations.

To ensure the timely and effective delivery of alerts to customers, the selection of channels we use to notify customers of service delays is determined by the duration of the delay and the resulting impact to customers.

Short delays have a low impact to customers and primarily affect those on the affected train or in the affected station; therefore, announcements are provided only to customers on the affected train or affected station. Information is not provided via social media for these localized and short delays, so as to preserve that channel for delays that are more widespread and which could affect customers’ travel plans before they enter the system.

Longer delays have a greater impact on customers and on the system, and so we provide alerts on trains and stations, on octranspo.com, on social media, and through our notification system, in order to alert customers before they enter a station or begin their travel.

We have prepared standard alerts in both languages to notify customers about various incidents or service disruptions; these messages have been crafted in advance and in consultation with other transit agencies and experts in the field. The alerts are concise and contain information advising customers of the impact to service and the information they need to know in order to adjust their travel on the system accordingly. The messaging used in alerts is the same or similar across all communication channels in order to ensure the information we provide to customers is delivered in a clear and consistent manner.

It should be emphasized that the priority for any alert that goes beyond the notification of customers on trains or in stations is to ensure that the message delivered to customers is accurate, timely, posted in both official languages and tells customers what they need to know to adjust their travel (for instance, “Line 1 is currently not operating. R1 replacement bus service is now in operation.”). These factors will influence each unique situation and be guided by operational experience, best practice and decision-making by staff directly aware of the on-the-ground operational information. Experience from other transit agencies has told us that an over-emphasis on speed of communication over targeted, accurate, and validated information can result in a detrimental customer experience.

We have launched a new train-specific customer education campaign with the opening of O-Train Line 1. This messaging is at all Line 1 stations, in the trains and on social media. For example, customers are asked to not hold the train doors as this behavior is unsafe and delays service. We will continue to update and adjust messaging as we learn more about how customers are using the system.

The train etiquette campaign includes messaging about:

• Not to hold the train doors open;
• Accessible stations and trains;
• Safety on the platform and in trains;
• Fare-paid zones; and,
• Bicycle boarding.

We are inspecting heaters at all stations and making repairs as necessary. That work is scheduled to be completed this week.