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Just weeks from now, Alstom Citadis Spirit trains will begin rolling along a stretch of track between Blair station and the Belfast Yard plant where they are being assembled.

They won’t pick up passengers just yet but instead will use the coming months to test and troubleshoot the fully automated LRT system in advance of its opening in 2018.

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The latest milestone — expected sometime in November — in the construction of the $2.1-billion Confederation line, comes near the end of a big year for the project during which construction began or continued at all 13 LRT stations. Necessary detours were put in place to shut down a stretch of the Transitway for the conversion to rail. And, if all goes well, there will be the completion of a 2.5-kilometre tunnel underneath downtown.

Matthew Pearson brings us the latest on Ottawa’s largest construction project.

Photo by Julie Oliver / Postmedia

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How do you build a tunnel underneath a busy Via Rail line without disrupting train service?