The City of Ottawa says it will share when final testing of its north-south Trillium Line will begin.
It has called media to a Thursday afternoon briefing “on the status of trial running of O-Train Lines 2 and 4, including the anticipated start date.”
The light rail lines will run diesel trains between Bayview and Limebank stations (Line 2) and between South Keys and Airport stations (Line 4). Bayview connects to the east-west Confederation Line LRT.
The previous, shorter version of the north-south rail line closed in the spring of 2020. The plan was to reopen with expanded service in August 2022, but there have been several delays getting it built and ready.
In July, city officials shared some of what the two steps of trial running will involve: a 14-day reliability testing period; and a seven-day phase simulating various “failure scenarios” such as an immobilized train, a failed rail switch or a medical emergency on board.
The trial running period required in contracts will mean greater monitoring and reporting than testing done in the past, officials said.
OC Transpo’s goal is 98.5 per cent reliability during the trial and leadership has said they’ll test until they reach it, which could take more than those 21 days.
The agency would then have to go to Transport Canada to get regulatory approval to operate.
Richard Holder, the city’s engineering director turned rail construction director, said in August once trial running begins, it will take another four to six weeks before passenger service can start.
The nearly $5 billion rail transit expansion is also extending tracks east to Trim Road and west to Algonquin College and Moodie Drive.
The most recent target for opening the eastern expansion was the summer of 2025. The western extension could open in late 2026 or early 2027.