Article content
The new north-south O-Train lines 2 and 4 opened for the first day of weekend service Jan. 25.
It’s part of a phased plan that will have OC Transpo’s Trillium Line connecting Riverside South to Bayview Station eventually running seven days a week.
For now, Line 2 and the Line 4 spur to the Ottawa Airport will run Monday to Saturday from 6:30 a.m. until midnight. OC Transpo will keep running parallel bus service including B2 buses, routes 97 and 99.
Article content
The impetus for the phased-in approach after weeks of testing was the rushed opening of the east-west Line 1 in 2019. A variety of glitches and problems with the then-new system made difficult days for transit riders.
The transit agency also quickly wound down parallel bus service, something they’ve decided not to repeat.
Sunday running of the Trillium Line won’t start for at least another two weeks, while they make sure the system, the operators, and the maintenance crews are able to handle the extra day of service.
“While these remain early days, the operational performance and customer interest in trying the new Lines 2 and 4 continue to be encouraging,” the city’s transit general manager Renée Amilcar said in a memo to council.
Since the Trillium Line began running Jan. 6, OC Transpo has been “assessing a number of factors, such as overall system operation, stability of staffing levels, full fleet availability, completion of all maintenance activities and that staff are able to respond appropriately to address any service issues when they arise,” Amilcar wrote.
Share this article in your social network