O-Train Line 1
The O-Train Line 1 is a 12.5-kilometre electric light-rail service that connects 13 stations from Tunney’s Pasture in the west to Blair in the east.
Select your station on the map or in the drop-down below.
- 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 approximately every 5 minutes
- Frequent service throughout the day and no more than 15 minutes after midnight or on weekends
- End-to-end travel time less than 30 minutes (Subject to operating conditions)
- 13 stations – 4 underground
- Each train can move up to 300 passengers comfortably (600 for two-car trains)
- 100% accessible
- 100% electrified vehicles for a quiet ride with zero emissions
Hours of operation
Effective Aug. 25, 2024
Line 1 service runs from early in the morning to late at night, every day of the week. Service frequency is subject to change.
Monday to Thursday
Opening hours: 5 am to 1 am
Service frequency
| Early morning (5 am to 6:30 am) | 8 min |
|---|---|
| Morning peak (6:30 am to 9 am) | 5 min |
| Mid-day (9 am to 3 pm) | 10 min |
| Afternoon peak (3 pm to 6:30 pm) | 5 min |
| Evening (6:30 pm to 11 pm) | 10 min |
| Late night (11 pm to 1 am) | 15 min |
Friday
Opening hours: 5 am to 2 am
Service frequency
| Early morning (5 am to 6:30 am) | 8 min |
|---|---|
| Morning peak (6:30 am to 9 am) | 5 min |
| Mid-day (9 am to 3 pm) | 10 min |
| Afternoon peak (3 pm to 6:30 pm) | 5 min |
| Evening (6:30 pm to 11 pm) | 10 min |
| Late night (10 pm to 2 am) | 10 min |
Saturday
Opening hours: 6 am to 2 am
Service frequency
| All day | 9 min |
|---|
Sunday and holidays
Opening hours 8 am to 11 pm
Service frequency
| All day | 9 – 10 min |
|---|
After hours, when the train is not running, select Rapid bus routes are extended through downtown from the east, west and south.
When the O-Train is not running during regular Line 1 hours, R1 bus service may operate. R1 buses serve all Line 1 stations and only make limited stops along the way. If Line 1 is partially closed, R1 service may run only along the closed portion.
Trains
The O-Train Line 1 is served by Alstom Citadis Spirit trains. Every train car has 7 double doors and can carry 300 people in quiet comfort.
More about Alstom Citadis Spirit trains
O-Train explained
Winter ready
Transcript and text description
| Time | On-screen animation | On-screen text |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | Title appears |
O-Train Explained |
| 00:03 | Large red O animates to reveal O-Train travelling left to right along track with winter downtown view of Ottawa in background. |
Winter ready. |
| 00:07 | Scene changes to O-Train travelling left to right with trees in fall colours in the background; the background changes to winter with snow on the ground and falling. | Planning for the winter season on the O-Train starts months in advance and many teams are involved. |
| 00:14 | The scene changes to the O-Train garage showing trains parked inside. | There are plans and procedures for winter to ensure the O-Train system is prepared to deal with inclement weather and to reduce delays caused by winter conditions. |
| 00:25 | The scene changes to the O-Train travelling left to right in a winter landscape; an inset of a person in an OC Transpo control room appears as precipitation falls. | When the forecast calls for snow or freezing rain, winter operating plans are put in place and weather conditions are closely monitored. |
| 00:34 | The scene changes to overhead to show the O-Train travelling along the tracks from left to right; then zooms in closer on the same scene. | Additional resources are also brought in, including specialized equipment and extra staff, to ensure service continues to operate for customers. |
| 00:44 | The scene changes to the O-Train travelling left to right at night with snow falling. | Depending on the weather conditions, trains can run overnight to prevent the build-up of snow on the tracks. |
| 00:51 | The scene changes to overhead to show a closeup view of the tracks with ice building up at the switch; the track turns red, heating up to melt the ice. | Switch heaters are in place to help keep switches operating by melting ice and snow before it can build up. |
| 01:02 | The overhead view zooms out further to show a worker removing ice from between tracks. | Crews may also need to manually clear snow and ice from switches under certain conditions. |
| 01:08 | The scene changes to bird’s eye view of O-Train travelling from bottom left to top right with a snow fence in the background. | Snow fencing is installed at areas along the line to prevent snow drifting and protect the tracks from snow blown by passing snowplows. |
| 01:19 | The scene changes to a night view of the O-Train travelling left to right. | The O-Train system is designed to withstand winter conditions. In winter months, staff work around the clock and across the system to keep the O-Train running for you. |
| 01:25 | The OC Transpo logo and web address animates on-screen. | OC Transpo octranspo.com |
Which switch?
Transcript and text description
| Time | On-screen animation | On-screen text |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | Title appears |
O-Train Explained |
| 00:03 | Large red O animates to reveal O-Train travelling left to right along track with downtown view of Ottawa in background. |
Which Switch? |
| 00:08 | The scene changes to a wide view of the O-Train travelling left to right with the sun in the sky. | The O-Train tracks include switches so trains can cross over from one track to another. |
| 00:15 | The scene changes overhead to follow the O-Train travelling left to right along the track; the train switches from the top track to the bottom track. | OC Transpo’s control centre must be able to communicate with all switches to ensure that they are properly aligned for safe train movements. |
| 00:27 | The view zooms in on a track switch; the switch moves and a passing O-Train moves to other the track; the switch moves again and another passing O-Train moves to the opposite track. | There are 7 locations on O-Train Line 1 where trains can use switches and are able to cross from one track to another. |
| 00:37 | The scene changes to a side view of the O-Train travelling left to right; the train slows down. | Trains have to slow down when crossing over at a switch to ensure safe train movements. |
| 00:41 | The scene changes to an overhead view of a switch being impeded by rocks and debris. | Sometimes rocks, debris and ice can damage or stop switches from working. |
| 00:48 | The view zooms out to show a stopped train and a worker approaching the tracks, then zooms in to show the worker removing the debris. | When this happens, trains will come to a stop so the switch can be manually moved. |
| 00:54 | The scene changes to a side view of the O-Train travelling left to right in winter conditions, then to an overhead view of the rails turning red and melting ice build up. | Switches have heaters to melt snow and ice and help prevent switch problems in the winter. |
| 01:04 | The scene changes to a wider overhead view of the tracks and switch with an exclamation mark representing a problem on the top tracks; the switch routes the train to the lower track, around the problem. | Use of switches can allow trains to continue in service even when there are maintenance activities or service disruptions. The switches allow trains to operate on a single track and move around the affected area. |
| 01:19 | The scene changes to a night view of the O-Train travelling left to right with an inset of a person at a monitoring station. | Staff carefully monitor switches and switch heaters at all times to avoid delays whenever possible. |
| 01:25 | The OC Transpo logo and web address animates on-screen. | OC Transpo octranspo.com |
Flashes of light
Transcript and text description
| Time | On-screen animation | On-screen titles |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | Title appears |
O-Train Explained |
| 00:03 | Large red O animates to reveal O-Train travelling left to right along track with downtown Ottawa in background. |
Flashes of Light |
| 00:08 | The scene changes to a view of the O-Train travelling left to right; showing the overhead catenary system. | The O-Train is powered by 1,500 volts of electricity, delivered by overhead cables called the Overhead Catenary System (OCS). |
| 00:18 | The scene changes to a bird’s eye view of the O-Train travelling from bottom left to top right; a spark appears where the train attaches to the overhead catenary system. | Sometimes you may see a flash or sparks on the pantograph, which collects power from the OCS. |
| 00:27 | The scene changes to a side view of the O-Train travelling left to right during daytime; the background turns to night with rain falling and then with snow falling in winter conditions. | This arcing is common and can happen in all systems. Arcing is more common during inclement weather, such as rain and snow. |
| 00:36 | The scene changes to a view of the front of the O-Train travelling toward the viewer along the tracks with sparks on the overhead catenary system. | The trains have safety measures to keep customers safe. |
| 00:43 | The scene changes to a night view of the O-Train travelling left to right. | The observed sparks pose no risk to customers because trains have high-speed breakers that shut off power to the O-Train’s motor if there’s a problem. |
| 00:54 | The view zooms in on the O-Train and overhead catenary system; the train slows down. | During inclement weather, when arcing occurs, trains may operate at reduced speed. |
| 01:02 | The OC Transpo logo and web address animates on-screen. | OC Transpo octranspo.com |
Sun kinks
Transcript and text description
| Time | On-screen animation | On-screen titles |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | Title appears |
O-Train Explained |
| 00:03 | Large red O animates to reveal O-Train travelling left to right along track with downtown Ottawa in background. |
HOT |
| 00:09 | The scene changes to the O-Train travelling left to right along track, hot sun rises overhead. | It happens on rail systems around the world: when the temperature gets extremely hot and the sun is beaming down, the steel tracks can expand and cause buckles – in the train world these are called "sun kinks". |
| 00:22 | The scene changes to overhead of O-Train travelling from top right to bottom left of screen. It clears frame to reveal the tracks; the view zooms in on the tracks which turn red and warp. | If a track gets a sun kink, it can bend the track slightly out of alignment and can cause problems for trains trying to pass by. |
| 00:32 | The scene returns to O-Train travelling left to right with hot sun overhead; the O-Train slows down. | For everyone’s safety, when temperatures get really high, we may temporarily slow down trains on the O-Train system. |
| 00:39 | The scene changes to overhead following the O-Train along the tracks from left to right. | This may cause longer travel times…but slowing down reduces the impact on trains and helps decrease the chances of sun kinks expanding and becoming worse. |
| 00:50 | The scene changes back to the O-Train travel from left to right with hot sun overhead, then turns to night time with the moon overhead. | OC Transpo constantly monitors the weather and makes adjustments to speeds as necessary throughout the day. |
| 01:00 | Views zooms in closer on O-Train travelling left to right at night. | When the temperature cools down and tracks are no longer impacted by the heat, trains return to normal speeds. |
| 01:06 | The OC Transpo logo and web address animates on-screen. | OC Transpo octranspo.com |