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More than three weeks after successfully completing a three-week trial run of the Trillium Line, there is still no word on when the city’s new LRT line will open.
Transit general manager Renée Amilcar said last month the train was on track to open to customers in “mid-November.” But as mid-November drifts toward late November, the city is still waiting for “substantial completion” of the Trillium Line. Only then can it apply to regulating agencies for its operating licence.
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“The City of Ottawa and TransitNext continue to collectively work towards achieving substantial completion. In addition, the city is working in parallel to complete final readiness activities such as staff training, familiarization tours, and emergency exercises,” Richard Holder, director of the rail construction program, said in an emailed response to questions Tuesday.
“Once a certificate of substantial completion has been issued by the independent certifier, there are several regulatory and certification requirements that must be achieved prior to revenue service. OC Transpo is engaged with all parties to ensure that this process is efficient, thorough, and completed in a timely fashion.”
Only then will the city provide an update on the opening of Line 2 — between Bayview and Limebank stations — and Line 4, the spur from South Keys to Ottawa Airport, Holder said.
OC Transpo is planning a “soft launch” of the train, likely on a weekend without the pressure of the weekday commute for workers and students. Amilcar has not said if OC Transpo is planning to offer free rides as it did for the opening of the Confederation Line in 2019.
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The Trillium Line is more than two years behind schedule and Carleton University students, who are expected to be big users of the Trillium Line, are just a little over two weeks away from the end of fall classes.
The Trillium Line and builder TransitNext passed the test period with flying colours, achieving a 99.5 per cent reliability rating over a two-week trial run in October. That was followed by another week of trial running in which OC Transpo operators put the system through its paces, testing different scenarios such as stalled trains and emergency procedures. That testing wrapped up on Oct. 27. OC Transpo has not offered any update on progress since Nov. 1.
Meanwhile, members of the transit commission will meet Monday to grapple with the $856-million draft budget, which calls for a five per cent fare increase and reduction to the discounts offered to students and seniors. OC Transpo faces a $120-million operating deficit in 2025.
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