The O-Line

Tracking progress...

OC Transpo is constantly looking for ways to implement suggestions, improve service, and respond to customer feedback.

To keep our customers up to date about O-Train Line 1 service and new initiatives, OC Transpo has launched this new information tool to provide regular updates, background information and answers to frequently asked questions about Ottawa’s new multimodal service. Updates will be posted regularly during this stabilization period.

We are working hard to improve reliability, minimize delays and keep our city moving. We are maintaining staffing levels at Line 1 stations to guide and assist customers.

We know that this service transformation represents a major change to the travel patterns of our customers, and we thank them for their continued patience. With the introduction of any new service, there will be a period of transition and adjustment for our customers and for our operations. During this time, we are collecting data and feedback, and are assessing what adjustments need to be made in order to meet the needs of our customers.

We welcome your continued comments via the OC Customer Feedback form.

You can also find a variety of helpful tools and resources to plan your route and be ready for rail:

April 29, 2020

O-Train Line 1 to be replaced temporarily by bus service May 2 to 3 and May 9 to 13

O-Train Line 1 will close temporarily and be replaced by R1 bus service on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, and again from Saturday, May 9 until Wednesday, May 13.

These closures will enable Rideau Transit Group the opportunity to complete maintenance activities and work relating to issues that have impacted service. The City has granted permission for Rideau Transit Group to complete this work due to the current low ridership resulting from COVID-19.

R1 bus service will operate frequently to ensure there is space to allow customers to follow physical distancing guidelines. As a reminder, transit services should only be used for essential travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Entrance grills and doors at most Line 1 stations will be closed during this time and customers will only have access to R1 bus stops. O-Train Ambassadors will be located at Line 1 stations to help direct customers to R1 bus stops.

Customers are also reminded that, on Sunday, May 3, O-Train Line 2 will be closed and replaced by bus service for construction of the Stage 2 O-Train expansion. The buses replacing Line 2 will run every 12 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, and every 15 minutes on Sundays, to provide additional capacity and space for physical distancing among customers onboard. O-Train Line 2 will reopen when construction is complete.

April 8, 2020

O-Train Line 1 Update

Ottawa City Council received an update today on Rideau Transit Group’s (RTG) Remediation Plan for O-Train Line 1.

Rideau Transit Group Performance Plan

March 31, 2020

COVID-19 Response

OC Transpo is taking proactive steps throughout our operations to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please visit our dedicated COVID-19 page for regular updates.

March 16, 2020

OC Transpo is taking proactive steps throughout our operations to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and protect the safety of our operators and our customers.

Rear door boarding Starting today, we are immediately implementing rear door boarding on all conventional buses. This has been instituted in other European Transit Agencies and is supported by our Union Leadership and Management as a prudent mitigation measure. Customers with accessibility needs can continue to board at the front of the bus

All other customers must use the rear doors only

We are installing tape to separate the operator cab and accessible seating areas from the rest of the bus

Prominent signage will be placed at the front and rear doors to inform customers of the change

We will also be informing our customers of this change using all of our communications channels

We anticipate that this policy will result in some loss in revenue. We have prepared estimates that will be tracked for possible reimbursement if funding becomes available, in particular: We will not be accepting cash fares or paper transfers from customers boarding at the rear of the bus; and, Due to the configuration of some of the buses in our fleet, some customers will not be able to tap their Presto cards when they board.

We believe that the potential loss of revenue associated with this change in practice is a necessary cost to protect the safety of our staff and our customers. Bus Operations We have implemented enhanced cleaning of our conventional bus operator cabs, to include daily wipe downs with anti-viral disinfectant.

Customer areas will receive sanitizing on handrails, stanchion posts including stairwells as part of established cleaning schedules.

We are providing disinfectant for cleaning of non-revenue vehicles, such as Special Constables, supervisors, etc. Rail Operations Our contractors for both Line 1 and 2 have brought on additional cleaning staff and are committed to enhanced cleaning of both stations and rail vehicles.

Every rail vehicle is going into service with every surface from floor to ceiling cleaned and disinfected, including operator cabs.

Rail vehicles will have every surface disinfected nightly.

As more resources become available, we will move to performing targeted cleaning of rail vehicles while in service. This will include wipe downs of surfaces that experience regular touching such as stanchions, hand straps and hand holds.

Cleaning of rail stations on Line 1 is also being enhanced with additional staff both day and night.

Overnight deep cleaning will focus on disinfecting all touched surfaces, including vending machines, handrails, doorknobs/handles, elevators, escalators, washrooms, glass and floors.

Additional resources are also being brought in to do daytime cleaning in stations with the target of cleaning high traffic areas in each station every eight hours. Para Operations The scheduled cleaning of Para Transpo vehicles is being enhanced to include daily sanitizing of the Operator area and the cleaning of common customer touch points such as handrails, windowsills, floors and ceilings within our passenger areas.

We are in contact with Ottawa’s taxi providers, who have advised that they are taking steps to increase cleaning and sanitizing of their vehicles, including those used to transport Para Transpo customers. Customer Service Staff Contact points with customers such as fare vending machines and counters are receiving enhanced cleaning with appropriate sanitizer products. Signage Posters have been placed at all OC Transpo Customer Service Centres and transit stations to remind customers to avoid taking transit if they are ill or have come into contact with someone who tested positive with COVID-19. S1 service As the situation evolves, we are closely monitoring our ridership numbers and actions being taken by other Canadian and international transit agencies. In response to ridership numbers, starting on Tuesday, we will end daily S1 service and redeploy those buses to support routes in the rest of the transit network. S1 service can be redeployed, should circumstances warrant.

We are taking this situation very seriously and working closely with the Office of Emergency Management, Ottawa Public Health and other City departments. The above steps are being actioned to help ensure the safety and health of our customers and staff.

March 12, 2020

Reminder – Two weeks left to submit your application to the OC Transpo Busking Program

Are you an Ottawa-area musician who would like to perform at O-Train Line 1 stations? If that sounds like music to your ears, OC Transpo is inviting YOU to apply for its new busking program. Don’t delay! The deadline to apply is Friday, March 27, 2020.

The OC Transpo busking program will bring local musical entertainment, vibrancy and a sense of community to O-Train Line 1 stations. Learn more about the program and complete the application form online at Ottawa.ca.

March 11, 2020

O-Train Public Art – Hurdman Station

All 13 stations along the Confederation Line feature original pieces of public art designed to enhance and comment upon the station and its surroundings. Hurdman Station features a piece entitled Coordinated Movement by artist Jill Anholt.

Coordinated Movement is inspired by the location of the Hurdman Station which sits at the edge of the Rideau River, marking a threshold between the natural world and the man-made one. This unique site marks both a node along the Atlantic Flyway, one of North America’s most significant stops for migrating water fowl, as well as one of Ottawa’s most important hubs for multimodal transportation.

The work investigates the relationship between bird migration and human commuting through an exploration of the choreography of dynamic movement systems. Referencing maps, aerial photographs, diagrams of transportation infrastructure, avian flying routes and flock formations, Coordinated Movement explores the relationship between the ephemeral and the physical, the natural and the infrastructural, whilst questioning the inter-relationship between individuals and species.

For more information about this piece and a full biography of the artist, Jill Anholt, please visit the Hurdman Station section of the City of Ottawa website.

March 10, 2020

O-Train Stage 2 Update

The City’s Finance and Economic Development Committee received an update on O-Train Stage 2 progress yesterday.

Stage 2 LRT update

Staff provided a progress update on the Stage 2 Light Rail Transit project and its three O-Train extensions:

In the south, five rail bridges are currently under construction at Airport Parkway, Uplands Drive, Bowesville Road, Earl Armstrong Road, and Limebank Road;

In the east, bridge construction is underway at the Highway 174 Montreal Road interchange;

In the west, tree removal and utility relocation activities are underway in preparation for the commencement of cut and cover tunnel construction later this year; and,

The video on the planned Montreal Road Interchange referred to on slide 39 can be viewed here:

March 9, 2020

Bus stop assignments at Blair Station

Changes have been made to the bus stop assignments along the Blair Station bus platform to more efficiently use platform space and to improve the customer experience. More changes will be coming with the next service change in April. These changes are in response to feedback from customers, and will make Blair Station easier to use for east-end transit customers. The wayfinding signs at Blair Station have been updated accordingly and have been redesigned to be easier to read.

March 6, 2020

Daylight Savings Time Begins Sunday March 8

Daylight saving time 2020 will begin at 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 8. O-Train, Para Transpo and conventional bus services will all begin on Sunday at the adjusted time.

We don't want you to be late for anything on Sunday morning. On Saturday night, don’t forget to change your clocks to jump one hour ahead!

March 5, 2020

Happy Goat Coffee Company soon coming to four O-Train Line 1 stations!

Something’s brewing! At Tunney’s Pasture, Rideau, Hurdman, and Blair stations you can now spot these signs indicating where Happy Goat Coffee will soon be setting up shop.

March 4, 2020

O-Train Line 1 Service Update

12 trains are currently on the line.

After the end of peak service this morning, at approximately 10 am, Electric Rail Operators reported issues with the Closed-Circuit Television Camera (CCTV) system. The CCTV cameras allow Operators to view the platform when departing from a station and is part of a multi-layered safety process to protect platform operations.

OC Transpo has established protocols to ensure safe operations if cameras are not operational. When an operator does not have access to CCTV cameras, a qualified spotter on the platform can signal to the operator that the platform is clear and that the train can safely depart. These spotters have been in place since the launch of the system as an additional layer of protection. If no spotter is available, the operator contacts the Transit Operations Control Centre, who can use their cameras to provide an all clear. Under no circumstances do trains depart without a clearance signal.

Today, RTM did not have the required spotters on the platforms at all locations, as they are required to be. General Manager John Manconi immediately contacted Peter Lauch, the CEO of RTG, and ordered that all resources be redeployed immediately. He has also ordered RTG to have spotters present on all platforms until further notice.

Operators followed all established protocols during this loss of CCTV service. OC Transpo staff were deployed to act as spotters, to augment platform monitoring and support safe operations. RTG continues to work to restore CCTV functionality and they have redeployed spotters to platforms shortly before 2 pm.

Service continues to run with no delays to customers.

March 3, 2020

Night Stop Decals at Hurdman and Blair Stations

Staff have installed new decals at Hurdman and Blair Stations to more clearly identify the night stop.

After 9 pm, all routes at transitway stations including Hurdman and Blair Stations serve one stop - the night stop.

For the full list of night stop locations, please visit the Riding at Night page of our website.

March 2, 2020

O-Train Public Art – Tremblay Station

All 13 stations along the Confederation Line feature original pieces of public art designed to enhance and comment upon the station and its surroundings. Tremblay Station features a piece entitled National Garden by artist Jyhling Lee.

National Garden is an imaginary landscape composed of the official flowers from each Canadian province, territory and the City of Ottawa. Situated alongside the VIA Rail Station, the sculptural plaza canopy recognizes the faraway destinations that can be reached by train and acknowledges the distant places that travellers may have come from. The flowers are mementos from abroad. National Garden celebrates both the romance of travel and recognizes, through the depiction of vernacular flowers, the unique and delicate qualities of Canadian culture and the physical landscape.

Mirrored finish stainless steel panels will be integrated onto the underside of the glass canopy over the pedestrian walkway towards the station from the VIA Rail Station. The panels will have cut-outs with fold over pieces depicting various silhouettes of provincial and territorial flowers, and Ottawa's municipal flower.

For more information about this piece and a full biography of the artist, Jyhling Lee, please visit the Tremblay Station section of the City of Ottawa website.

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