August 29 Light Rail Sub-Committee Recap
Last week, the City’s Light Rail Sub-Committee met to discuss the latest updates on the O-Train extension project. The Stage 2 LRT Project has been making significant progress, meeting many milestones on all extension in recent months.
If you missed the meeting, watch it on the City of Ottawa’s YouTube channel or read the highlights below.
O-Train East
In the east, the O-Train extension from Blair to Trim Station is showing notable progress. Testing in this area has ramped up, extending train testing to Trim, the terminal station. One major development is the ongoing improvements to Highway 174, which will see final paving from Champlain Street to just east of Trim Station wrapped up by the end of 2024. Additionally, the installation and testing of the overhead catenary system (OCS) has been completed, marking a critical step in ensuring that the electrical infrastructure is ready for operation.
Pictured above: Trim Station
O-Train West Extension
On the west extension, construction is also advancing well. The OCS installation at the Corkstown Yard light maintenance and storage facility has started. Track work is finished, and the arrival of the first train to the yard is anticipated this fall.
Construction of all 11 stations is progressing well. Residents can notice the new structural steel construction at New Orchard, Sherbourne, and Kichi Zìbì stations. Rail installation is advancing through the guideway and has started in the cut-and-cover tunnels.
Pictured above: Moodie Station
O-Train South Extension and Operational Readiness
For the O-Train South extension, finishing works including landscaping, road and multi-use pathway (MUP) reinstatement, and final touches within the stations are being completed. All stations are substantially complete, with only minor works remaining. Comprehensive system, vehicle, and track testing is ongoing, aimed at ensuring the entire system is operationally ready.
Pictured above: Rideau River pedestrian and rail bridge (opened July 2024)
A key component of the South extension's functionality is the central communications hub, also called the head-end, which plays a vital role in collecting and processing data for train control. This hub is essential for the South extension and must be fully functional before trial running begins.
Throughout the summer, staff have diligently worked on various prerequisites for trial running. These include enhancing daily train operation reliability, finalizing system infrastructure, and ensuring the full functionality of the Maintenance Management and Performance Reporting System and increasing 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.
Next Steps
As the project moves forward, further updates will be provided ahead of the trial running phase. Stay tuned for more updates as the work continues to ready the O-Train South extension for public opening.
