O-Train Line 1 [Stage 1 | Confederation Line] | In Service

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

This is good news, but I continue to question why frequencies were cut in the first place. Still no relief for weekend service.

Including during Bluesfest?

Funny, how they did the Canada Day fireworks after opening night of Bluesfest, but didn't announce it, because the city didn't want additional crowds downtown. This really says something.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Including during Bluesfest?

They are running double car service today and I believe they'll ramp up the frequency for Bluesfest. I meant no relief for weekend service in the September plan. The City/OC have been decent at providing more service for large weekend events.

[Richard Eade]

I was down at Ottawa BLUESFEST last night, and took the Confederation Line west when leaving. Here is my impression.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there were tens of thousands of people there, but there was NO EXCESSIVE CONTROL. There were NO FENCES OR RESTRICTIONS on where we could walk. What a difference from Canada Day (2-years ago).

When there are no fences trying to corral people, they can better ‘zipper’ into lines and decide late that they are on the wrong side and make a change – without causing interference.

Kudos to OC Transpo for having LOTS of RED-JACKETS holding signs informing people – but not restricting movements – about where to go to catch the trains. Their suggestions led westbound passengers – following the orange signs (good idea, OC Transpo to colour-separate the flows) to enter PIMISI on the west, and eastbound travelers – following blue signs – to enter on the east. This really smoothed the flow down to the platforms.

And, ALL OF THE FARE GATES WERE OPEN. WOW! It was as if OC Transpo was finally putting customers first.

The train came along about a minute later. I didn’t even have time to remember to check the train frequency.

There was a bit of confusion at Tunney’s Pasture, since the display told us that the # 61 bus was in 3 minutes, at Stop B. Standing at Stop B, we watched the # 61 drive by and stop at the ‘Night Stop’. We ran back and jumped in the back door. Standing-room, but not ‘Crush Load’. Oddly, the # 61 weaved through Westboro, along Richmond, Woodroffe, and Carling to get to Lincoln Fields. Definitely a lot longer route than I expected. There must have been a detour from the Parkway in place.

I was with my sister-in-law – who doesn’t take transit since she left school many years ago. Her comments when we got to Lincoln Fields?

“Wow! That was so easy. I was worried about taking the train, but it wasn’t over crowded, and it was fast. If I’d known that it was that easy, I’d take transit more.”

Her expectation was based on media reports of transit disasters, especially from past Canada Days.

That said, things changed when we tried to walk out to the Wendy’s at Lincoln Fields ‘Mall’ – which isn’t a mall any more, of course.

“Carling Ave. This Way” said the sign. In the olden days, we would have simply climbed the stairs and taken the bridge to Carling Avenue. Not now. That convenient bridge was demolished – for some unknown reason. Now it is, as she put it, ‘a half mile hike’ around under Carling, and up the LONG ramp to the wrong side of the street. ‘That’ she was definitely NOT impressed by. And she is right. All of the ‘temporary’ – yes, YEARS-LONG temporary – paths for pedestrians are HORRIBLE. Most of the signage at Lincoln Fields Station is HORRIBLE, often because old signs have not been cleared away, or give conflicting directions.

One could argue that the construction mess is due to the construction contractor. Maybe so. But the poor signage is directly on OC Transpo.

Another example, the other day, I was looking for the # 74 bus stop. After walking around looking, I finally asked an off-duty OC Transpo driver. “Over there”, he said, pointing to the last stop in the line. “The ‘THIS STOP NOT IN SERVICE stop?” I asked. “Yup” he said, somewhat grinning, as he could see the confusion. Sure enough, that is where the # 74 stopped.

So, we have years more of the confusion and mess that comes with getting the train extended west. But the good news is that OC Transpo appears to be getting better at using the system that it has.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Including during Bluesfest?

Funny, how they did the Canada Day fireworks after opening night of Bluesfest, but didn't announce it, because the city didn't want additional crowds downtown. This really says something.

It says way more about the culture at city hall than it does about the train.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

I was down at Ottawa BLUESFEST last night, and took the Confederation Line west when leaving. Here is my impression.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there were tens of thousands of people there, but there was NO EXCESSIVE CONTROL. There were NO FENCES OR RESTRICTIONS on where we could walk. What a difference from Canada Day (2-years ago).

When there are no fences trying to corral people, they can better ‘zipper’ into lines and decide late that they are on the wrong side and make a change – without causing interference.

Kudos to OC Transpo for having LOTS of RED-JACKETS holding signs informing people – but not restricting movements – about where to go to catch the trains. Their suggestions led westbound passengers – following the orange signs (good idea, OC Transpo to colour-separate the flows) to enter PIMISI on the west, and eastbound travelers – following blue signs – to enter on the east. This really smoothed the flow down to the platforms.

And, ALL OF THE FARE GATES WERE OPEN. WOW! It was as if OC Transpo was finally putting customers first.

The train came along about a minute later. I didn’t even have time to remember to check the train frequency.

There was a bit of confusion at Tunney’s Pasture, since the display told us that the # 61 bus was in 3 minutes, at Stop B. Standing at Stop B, we watched the # 61 drive by and stop at the ‘Night Stop’. We ran back and jumped in the back door. Standing-room, but not ‘Crush Load’. Oddly, the # 61 weaved through Westboro, along Richmond, Woodroffe, and Carling to get to Lincoln Fields. Definitely a lot longer route than I expected. There must have been a detour from the Parkway in place.

I was with my sister-in-law – who doesn’t take transit since she left school many years ago. Her comments when we got to Lincoln Fields?

“Wow! That was so easy. I was worried about taking the train, but it wasn’t over crowded, and it was fast. If I’d known that it was that easy, I’d take transit more.”

Her expectation was based on media reports of transit disasters, especially from past Canada Days.

That said, things changed when we tried to walk out to the Wendy’s at Lincoln Fields ‘Mall’ – which isn’t a mall any more, of course.

“Carling Ave. This Way” said the sign. In the olden days, we would have simply climbed the stairs and taken the bridge to Carling Avenue. Not now. That convenient bridge was demolished – for some unknown reason. Now it is, as she put it, ‘a half mile hike’ around under Carling, and up the LONG ramp to the wrong side of the street. ‘That’ she was definitely NOT impressed by. And she is right. All of the ‘temporary’ – yes, YEARS-LONG temporary – paths for pedestrians are HORRIBLE. Most of the signage at Lincoln Fields Station is HORRIBLE, often because old signs have not been cleared away, or give conflicting directions.

One could argue that the construction mess is due to the construction contractor. Maybe so. But the poor signage is directly on OC Transpo.

Another example, the other day, I was looking for the # 74 bus stop. After walking around looking, I finally asked an off-duty OC Transpo driver. “Over there”, he said, pointing to the last stop in the line. “The ‘THIS STOP NOT IN SERVICE stop?” I asked. “Yup” he said, somewhat grinning, as he could see the confusion. Sure enough, that is where the # 74 stopped.

So, we have years more of the confusion and mess that comes with getting the train extended west. But the good news is that OC Transpo appears to be getting better at using the system that it has.

Thanks for the insight. Happy to hear that exiting Bluesfest was a breeze and Tunney's was pretty good. Not surprised about Lincoln Fields.

Goes to show that Stage 2 will make a massive difference. I wish Stage 2 would go to at least Eagleson to hit a park and ride, but if they have frequent transitway service from Moodie to Terry Fox, it shouldn't be too bad.

[sseguin]

Rideau Station | Explore From Here (Episode 1)

Rideau Station is the busiest station on Ottawa's O-Train network and serves as the gateway to many of the city's most iconic attractions. In this video, we explore the station itself before taking a walking tour of the surrounding area.

• Video Link

[J.OT13]

O-Buskers bring live music to Ottawa’s LRT stations, turning commutes into concerts

Leah Larocque, CTV Ottawa
Published: July 21, 2026

If your daily commute sounds a little more like a concert this week, that’s by design.

OC Transpo’s new O-Buskers program officially launched this week, bringing live performances by local musicians to O-Train Line 1 stations. The initiative aims to brighten commutes while giving Ottawa artists a new platform to share their music.

Among the performers is singer-songwriter Clarissa Fortin, who performed at Bayview Station on Tuesday as commuters made their way to work.

Fortin says it a new challenge to perform in an active transit hub.

“I was learning to resist the urge to compete with the train when it comes in,” she said. “I want to match up with it or overpower it, but I know I can’t. So just letting it happen, letting the people come in and out.”

Fortin is one of about 60 local musicians participating in the O-Buskers program. Approved performers volunteer their time and rotate through 12 designated performance spaces at stations along Line 1, performing seven days a week. The program was delayed for several years due to the pandemic and other transit issues.


As a regular transit rider herself, Fortin understands that commuting can be one of the most stressful parts of a person’s day.

“I definitely hope to be soothing. I hope to be calming,” she said. “I didn’t pick any angry songs. If people are stressed and they can’t stop to listen, then they won’t.”

For some riders, the music is already having the intended effect.

“It’s lovely,” one commuter said. “It’s a beautiful sound with the echo.”

Mary Mena says the performance encouraged her to slow down. “It’s like I stopped to see the world around me a little bit,” she said. “Not be so centred on where I’m going. I think it helps with feeling better.”

According to OC Transpo, the program is designed to create a more welcoming atmosphere throughout the transit system while celebrating Ottawa’s local music scene. The transit agency hopes to operate O-Buskers year-round, offering performances throughout the week at participating stations.

“It’s fantastic,” another commuter said. “It’s great to have a little bit more community at the beginning of the day.”

For Fortin, the unique venue is part of the appeal.

“You never know who’s going to come through,” she said. “If I play a song that’s a little bit obscure, it might be a song that’s really special to somebody. I like the randomness of being a part of someone’s day, even for a little bit.”

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/o-...stations-turning-commutes-into-concerts/

[rocketphish]

Sorry state of St-Laurent station could eventually shut down its LRT tracks for weeks
Rehabilitation likely requires closing both tracks for 5-6 weeks, likely in 2028 or 2029

Arthur White-Crummey · CBC News
Posted: Jul 30, 2026 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

The City of Ottawa is planning a major rehabilitation at St-Laurent Station that could eventually force months of service disruptions and shut down LRT tracks there in both directions for several weeks — though construction work is still at least two years away.

The work is detailed in tendering documents for a tunnel renewal project the city posted online, including a project charter that says it's "assumed" that "full closure of the LRT Confederation Line for an extended period of time beyond typical engineering hours is required" in order to practically complete ceiling repairs.

A report from engineering firm Stantec says the station has been leaking at several locations, leaving puddles on the station platforms. Parts of the ceiling are cracking and breaking off, exposing corroded rebar.

It says concrete risks falling onto the platforms. That poses "a serious and ongoing risk to the traveling public," as well as to OC Transpo staff and the trains themselves. Mesh netting has been put in place to prevent injury.

Problems with water leakage go back decades. The tunnel was built for the Transitway in the 1980s and was later repurposed for the LRT. Falling concrete has actually triggered a partial service shutdown before, for a brief period in early 2024.

Now, the city is looking for a long-term solution that can extend the tunnel's life by 15 years. The upper level of the station where the buses now go has already gone through two phases of remediation work. But the third phase targetting the underground level will be especially disruptive.

Stantec recommends work with a total estimated project cost of $1.6 million for more repairs on the upper level and $7.9 million to fix the lower level, including repairs to the tunnel, drain pipes and pedestrian bridges over the tracks.

But Stantec says accessing the high concrete ceiling will be "challenging and costly." To do the work, crews will have to remove and reinstall the overhead catenary system — the wires that power the trains — as well as utilities.

"Track closures will be required to complete work above the tracks," the report says. "Setting up and disassembling scaffolding would be time-consuming and would require long track closures."

The lower level project would likely take 11 to 13 months to finish, according to Stantec. The proposed timeline includes nine to 10 weeks of single-track closures, first shutting down one direction, then the other. Platforms are expected to close for four to five weeks each.

Worst of all, the project is expected to require a five-to-six-week period where both tracks are closed at the same time — completely shutting down train traffic through the station in both directions.

<more>

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/so...-down-its-lrt-tracks-for-weeks-9.7289477

[Uhuniau]

At some point, surely someone is going to remember that the necessary work to repair and improve St. Laurent Transitway station for LRT purposes was cost-cut during the Watson era.

[zzptichka]

This will never cease to amaze me. Shut down the main transit artery line for weeks every few years like it's expected. These are not serious people.

[Richard Eade]

Oh-Oh! Who could possibly have seen this coming – besides EVERYONE outside of Ottawa’s political structure and OC Transpo, that is.

NEWS FLASH: St. Laurent Station is no need of a lot of repairs. Wow! The study JUST CAME TO LIGHT.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/so...-down-its-lrt-tracks-for-weeks-9.7289477
and
https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/o-...r-several-weeks-for-rehabilitation-work/

Of course, we all know that the City is HORRIBLE about maintaining its infrastructure. It should be no surprise to hear that the St. Laurent Station has suffered infiltration of salty water for decades. The evidence (for anyone who cared to look) was everywhere within the station. To anyone who has read the media reports of pieces of concrete falling from the ceiling.

Yup, the switch to LRT encouraged the City to do some water-proofing of the top surface (where the buses still travel), but little was done to remediate the actual structure. They simply hung netting to catch the falling concrete chunks.

Opened November 17, 1987, this structure is about 40 years old, and has survived in a very harsh environment with very little upkeep. It should have gone through a full rehabilitation during the conversion to rail. But that would have added cost, so it was left to further decay.

When pieces of concrete fell on the rails, shutting down LRT service for half a day in January, 2024, and then again for 5 days in May of 2024, the City was shocked into action – but not too much action. Minimal work was done to scale any further, obviously, loose ceiling pieces. Oh, and, of course, a study was initiated.

At the very least, since it had done so little before that, the falling concrete should have triggered a full renewal. As it turns out, the City only got around to issuing a Request for Proposal for the work THIS WEEK. Yes, the middle of 2026!

The estimated timeline is to have design done by the end of 2027, and the work done throughout 2028. That work will of course, cause major disruption to the LRT, both Line 1 and Line 3, since the eastern extension is supposed to open “soon”.

So, with an abundance of PLANNING – NOT- the City has delayed doing the work needed until it will have MAXIMAL DISRUPTION on public transit.

It is not just that the St. Laurent Station will be affected. It is the fact that without any maintenance facilities east of St. Laurent, it is doubtful that any of the east-end trains will be able to keep running while St. Laurent is closed. They will be opening the eastern extension just in time to shut it down for an extended period.

My prediction: The work will start on St. Laurent only to find out that things are worse than expected and the whole thing will need a lot more work – meaning a much longer delay.

This is absolutely inexcusable. St Laurent Station should have been reconditioned BEFORE the eastern extension was to be opened. Period. The level of degradation was no secret to anyone – or, as I said above; to anyone not in the political structure of Ottawa’s City Hall, or at OC Transpo.

[Richard Eade]

I should apologize for the rant. I just get so frustrated by the lack of forward planning done about the City’s assets. I changed a couple of boards on my deck this spring – before they were at the point where someone might put a foot through them during summer usage. Maintaining your things, planning future needs, and taking preventative action is not impossible to do.

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

I should apologize for the rant. I just get so frustrated by the lack of forward planning done about the City’s assets. I changed a couple of boards on my deck this spring – before they were at the point where someone might put a foot through them during summer usage. Maintaining your things, planning future needs, and taking preventative action is not impossible to do.

Ok.. so fair enough this work needs to be done.

The work should be done NOW! while the eastern extension isn't open. The cost is 9.4M and needs to be done regardless. Do it now and save the sanity of your poor commuters.

I'm not sure what the total cost of all the work they have done to the tunnel to date and this project is but balking at 15?M on capital project with a budget of 2.1B is madness.

And that isn't even considering the fact that it is an aging tunnel that has had dirty salty city busses pounding the piss out of it for just about my entire lifetime.

Ridiculous.

Oh.. and BTW i lost my phone at Bayview station Friday night running for a train that was of course parked on the wrong side of the platform once again for no reason. Still waiting for a response from Lost and Found. Find my phone was showing it presumably the crew office for a good chunk of the weekend until the phone died. I have a claim number and jar of crickets.

FU!

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

I should apologize for the rant. I just get so frustrated by the lack of forward planning done about the City’s assets. I changed a couple of boards on my deck this spring – before they were at the point where someone might put a foot through them during summer usage. Maintaining your things, planning future needs, and taking preventative action is not impossible to do.

Don't. This is exactly the consequence that was predicted back when Jim Watson and company took their cost-cutting scissors to the project in order to pander to taxophobes and suburban conservatives.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

Oh.. and BTW i lost my phone at Bayview station Friday night running for a train that was of course parked on the wrong side of the platform once again for no reason. Still waiting for a response from Lost and Found. Find my phone was showing it presumably the crew office for a good chunk of the weekend until the phone died. I have a claim number and jar of crickets.

There's a reason they alternate platforms at Bayview.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

The upper level of the station where the buses now go has already gone through two phases of remediation work.

This burns my ass so hard: the remediation work did NOT include improvements to bus passenger amenities. That was also punted to some later date, AND - AND - the existing amenities are WORSE now than they were in Transitway days.

[J.OT13]

We've seen this countless times. The whole Lansdowne 1.0 with nothing more than bandaids to the Civic Centre, not double tracking Line 2 or rebuilding Dow's Lake Station with Stage 2, so on and so forth. Watson was Dollarstore Jean-Drapeau, with great vision, but on a budget.