Service types

Bus routes and train lines are organized by service types. Each type has its own colour and symbol telling you when and where a route travels.

Service types and their route icons

Service Type	Description	Colours & Symbols
O-Train	Quick, frequent station-to-station train service on dedicated rail lines with no level crossings. Line 1Line 1 Line 2Line 2 Line 4Line 4	1Line 12Line 24Line 4
Rapid	Quick, station-to-station bus service along the Transitway or highway Operates 7 days a week
Night	Overnight, station-to-station bus service when Line 1 closes for the day Operates 7 days a week
Frequent	Service every 15 minutes or less from 6 am to 6 pm on weekdays Operates 7 days a week along main roads
Connexion	Quick, convenient connection from home to Line 1 Operates weekday rush-hours only, both in the morning and returning home in the afternoon
Local	Custom routing to local destinations
School	Custom service from home to school No service on school holidays
Shopper	Free weekly trips to and from the mall for rural Ottawa communities
Event	Direct route to events at Lansdowne or the Canadian Tire Centre
Replacement bus service	May be deployed when the O-Train is not running during regular service hours Serves all O-Train stations on the line and only makes limited stops along the way If an O-Train line is partially closed, may run only along the closed portion R1 service

Other types of transit service

Para Transpo Regional Partner Routes Charters

O-Train Line 1Line 1

Line 1is a 12.5-kilometre electric light-rail service that connects 13 stations from Tunney’s Pasture in the west to Blair in the east. 

• Identified by a red circle on maps and signs
• 12.5 km of rail running east to west from Blair Station to Tunney’s Pasture and through a 2.5 km downtown tunnel
• Peak service runs every 5 minutes or less
• Frequent servicethroughout the day and never more than 15 minutes after midnight or on weekends
• End-to-end travel time less than 30 minutes
• 13 stations – 4 underground
• Each train car can carry up to 300 passengers comfortably
• 100% accessible
• 100% electrified vehicles for a quiet ride with zero emissions

O-Train Line 2Line 2

Line 2 is an 19 kilometre diesel light-rail service running from Limebank Station in the south to Bayview Station just west of downtown.

• Line 2 is shown in a green circle on maps and signs
• Connects to Line 1 at Bayview Station
• Connects to Line 4 to the Airport at South Keys station
• Line 2 is served by 7 high-efficiency diesel-engine Stadler FLIRT trains
• Each train can accommodate 420 passengers
• Trains run 5 days a week (Monday to Friday) during this initial launch phase, operating approximately every 12 minutes.

More info on Line 2Line 2

O-Train Line 4Line 4

Introducing the newest addition to the O-Train network — Line 4.

Line 4Line 4 bypasses city traffic, taking you to the airport. This new link will provide reliable and frequent service to a modern new station directly at the Departures level.

Trains run 5 days a week (Monday to Friday) during this initial launch phase, operating approximately every 12 minutes.

Line 4Line 4 connections with other lines in the network:

• Connect to Line 2Line 2 by transferring at South Keys Station
• Continue to Line 1Line 1 and downtown by transferring at Bayview Station

More info on Line 4Line 4

Rapid routes

Rapid routes provide high speed, station-to-station bus service.

• Identified by a blue circle on maps and signs
• Connections to the O-Train Line 1 all day, 7 days a week
• Use the Transitway and dedicated bus lanes
• Overnight, when O-Train Line 1 is not running, many Rapid routes will be extended to Rideau Station, serving all Line 1 stations en route. These trips will be identified as "N" (Night) trips. 

Frequent routes

Frequent routes offer reliable, high frequency bus service along major roads.

• Frequent routes are shown in an orange hexagon on signs and maps
• Service every 15 minutes or less from 6 am to 6 pm on weekdays
• Operate 7 days/week

Connexion routes

Connexion routes offer convenient and reliable peak-period service between residential communities and the O-Train Line 1.

• Connexion routes are shown in a purple oval on maps and signs
• Routes are numbered in the 200s
• Connect with the O-Train Line 1 at Blair Station from the east, Hurdman from the south, and Tunney’s Pasture from the west and southwest
• Operate on weekdays

Limited Connexion service in the west end

For a more direct trip, in the afternoon:

• Barrhaven Connexion routes bypass stations from Baseline to Westboro

In the morning, service to these stations is drop-off only.

Exceptions

• Routes 258 and 282 serve all stations along their route.
• Route 283 serves Bayshore and Pinecrest in the morning. In the afternoon, it only skips Westboro and Dominion.

Local routes

Local routes offer customized routing and schedules to serve destinations that are not on a Rapid or Frequent routes.

• Local routes are shown in dark grey rectangles on maps and signs
• Routes that connect to Line 1 are numbered below 100
• Routes that do not connect Line 1 are numbered 100–199