The City’s Light Rail Sub-Committee received a progress update today on the O-Train extension project.
The Sub-Committee heard that the Stage 2 Light Rail Transit (LRT) project has reached several key milestones in recent months. Significant achievements include expanding testing on the O-Train East extension from Blair to Trim Station, completing structural work on the west extension from Tunney’s Pasture to Algonquin and Moodie Stations, and ongoing training for new diesel rail operators and controllers for O-Train South Line 2 from Bayview to Limebank stations and line 4 from South Keys to the Ottawa International Airport.
In the east, system integration work and station construction are progressing well. Highway 174 structural improvements will continue this year, with final paving scheduled from Champlain Street to east of Trim Station by the end of 2024. Installation and testing of the overhead catenary system (OCS) has also been completed.
In the west, installation of the OCS at the Corkstown Yard light maintenance and storage facility has begun. Track work has been completed and the first train is expected to be delivered to the yard this fall. Station and guideway construction continues to advance and rail installation has also started in the cut-and-cover tunnels.
Finishing work on the O-Train South extension continues. All stations are substantially complete with some minor and outstanding works being addressed. Overall system, vehicle and track testing and commissioning continues to progress.
Staff also shared updates on the central communications hub where data is collected and processed for train control. This new functionality is critical for the O-Train South extension and must be fully operational before beginning trial running.
Over the summer, staff have continued to make progress on a number of required prerequisites for trial running, including building increased reliability through daily train operation, finalization of system infrastructure, full functionality of the Maintenance Management and Performance Reporting System, and increased vehicle reliability. Staff continue to resolve issues through the ongoing testing to ensure that the system is both reliable and safe before its public launch. Further updates will be provided prior to the start of trial running.