Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[zzptichka]

Cool video of 2 hours of testing from yesterday by Jeff Leiper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEj8FpwJjfk
Too bad there is no time stamp to measure intervals.

[Badyouken]

Hung out around Bayview station last night.

It looks really, really good. I'm quite excited to see it all in action.

One question I have is related to cold weather: the station is quite open to the elements. The elevators and escalators are all out in the open. How will those fare when it's -20C and there's lots of snow around?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Badyouken

Hung out around Bayview station last night.

It looks really, really good. I'm quite excited to see it all in action.

One question I have is related to cold weather: the station is quite open to the elements. The elevators and escalators are all out in the open. How will those fare when it's -20C and there's lots of snow around?

We won't know until next winter. The City has bet everything on this 3P contract, figuring the consortium responsible for the construction and 30 year maintenance of the line will have used the best possible equipment to minimize maintenance issues. Whether or not RTG has in fact built the system to the best possible standards is unknown.

[AuxTown]

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/first-look-at-lrt-name-plates-1.4391047

CTV Ottawa
Published Tuesday, April 23, 2019 12:04PM EDT
Last Updated Tuesday, April 23, 2019 1:07PM EDT
Commuters are getting a first glimpse of the name plates that will be affixed to the LRT Confederation Line and Trillium Line trains.

In February 2018, the City of Ottawa has released the winners of its ‘Name the Trains’ contest.

One train will be named after late Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie, while another will be named after Nathan Cirillo, the corporal who died during the Parliament Hill attack in 2014.

Other notable Canadians are being honoured, including Farley Mowat, John McRae, Henrietta Edwards and Jacques Cartier. Commuters will also be able to ride trains called The Canada Goose, the Majestic Moose and the Eh-Train.

In total, there are 40 trains being named. Last year, the city invited children and youth aged 16 and under to submit their ideas. There were a total of 1,899 submissions.

You can find a full list of names here.

This is very cool. Do other cities LRTs and subways have similar train naming traditions?

[J.OT13]

Great shot of Tunney's Pasture.


https://www.otrainfans.ca/forum/gallery/category/18-tunneys-pasture/

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by TheMatth69

Just thinking, do you guys think that one day (in the far future 2040/2050) the current line could be upgraded to a full heavy metro system with train like Alstom Metropolis ? Or it will only be limited to low floor LRT/Tram like trains ?

Let me see if I understand what you mean:

The transitway is closed down to upgrade to LRT.

The LRT is shutdown and upgraded to heavy metro.

Are you a sucker for punishment?

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by Badyouken

Hung out around Bayview station last night.

It looks really, really good. I'm quite excited to see it all in action.

One question I have is related to cold weather: the station is quite open to the elements. The elevators and escalators are all out in the open. How will those fare when it's -20C and there's lots of snow around?

Welcome to the forum!

[rondon]

In 21 years in 2040 Ottawa will be 1.8 million city inhabitance and what then?

[Gat-Train]

Originally Posted by rondon

In 21 years in 2040 Ottawa will be 1.8 million city inhabitance and what then?

At that point, we probably start running commuter trains on the heavy rail corridors and re-open Union Station (perhaps a brand-new underground terminal like Grand Central)

Or better yet, we actually do some planning and try to distribute some of the employment nodes more evenly around the city, rather than stuff everyone into the CBD.

[TheMatth69]

Looks like there was no test today. Passed in front of Lees Station and they had ''hooks'' attached to the catenary. I've seen these on others project when they test tension & voltage going through the catenary and the return through the tracks but I did not spot any mesuring device so I'm not 100% certain.

One thing is certain these ''hooks'' makes the catenary and therefore the train tests impossible.

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by TheMatth69

Looks like there was no test today. Passed in front of Lees Station and they had ''hooks'' attached to the catenary. I've seen these on others project when they test tension & voltage going through the catenary and the return through the tracks but I did not spot any mesuring device so I'm not 100% certain.

One thing is certain these ''hooks'' makes the catenary and therefore the train tests impossible.

I saw a number of workers on the track as well as some track maintenance vehicles. Probably just a rail maintenance day.

[Badyouken]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks! I've been lurking on this site for years, but somehow only discovered this LRT thread yesterday. I'll be hanging out around here a whole lot more

[Badyouken]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

We won't know until next winter. The City has bet everything on this 3P contract, figuring the consortium responsible for the construction and 30 year maintenance of the line will have used the best possible equipment to minimize maintenance issues. Whether or not RTG has in fact built the system to the best possible standards is unknown.

And what is the train spotting / transit community's thinking? Are there precedents in other cold cities around the world for this sort of equipment out in the open?

[Badyouken]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Great shot of Tunney's Pasture.


https://www.otrainfans.ca/forum/gallery/category/18-tunneys-pasture/

Great shot!

It will really change the feel of the city. Spending time in those stations, hanging around the underground station concourses - I expect lots of "Ottawa has arrived" articles in the coming year.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Badyouken

And what is the train spotting / transit community's thinking? Are there precedents in other cold cities around the world for this sort of equipment out in the open?

Can't think of anything similar. Calgary and Edmonton's elevators and escalators seem enclosed in buildings, with platforms very open to the elements (while our platforms have decent weather protection in comparison). Toronto's surface stations seem mostly enclosed. Vancouver's climate doesn't compare at all, so not worth mentioning. Not familiar enough with U.S. or European systems.

[Badyouken]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Can't think of anything similar. Calgary and Edmonton's elevators and escalators seem enclosed in buildings, with platforms very open to the elements (while our platforms have decent weather protection in comparison). Toronto's surface stations seem mostly enclosed. Vancouver's climate doesn't compare at all, so not worth mentioning. Not familiar enough with U.S. or European systems.

Thanks - wait and see, then!

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by Gat-Train

At that point, we probably start running commuter trains on the heavy rail corridors and re-open Union Station (perhaps a brand-new underground terminal like Grand Central)

Or better yet, we actually do some planning and try to distribute some of the employment nodes more evenly around the city, rather than stuff everyone into the CBD.

Each of the stations was built with a lateral access tunnel 'stub' extending to the south. This will allow for connections to the next underground line in the future (i.e. the next line will be built along Albert, and extend...somewhere?). When the existing system is near/at/more likely..over capacity, the next line will be built.

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

Each of the stations was built with a lateral access tunnel 'stub' extending to the south. This will allow for connections to the next underground line in the future (i.e. the next line will be built along Albert, and extend...somewhere?). When the existing system is near/at/more likely..over capacity, the next line will be built.

I still haven't seen any evidence that these tunnel stubs were actually built. If they were, I can't imagine it was for a future parallel line.

Given the City's history with planning ahead (i.e. the Trillium Line) doing that kind of construction well in advance just doesn't seem like something they'd do...

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

Each of the stations was built with a lateral access tunnel 'stub' extending to the south. This will allow for connections to the next underground line in the future (i.e. the next line will be built along Albert, and extend...somewhere?). When the existing system is near/at/more likely..over capacity, the next line will be built.

Proof? I doubt the city has this kind of long range vision. If there was a lateral stub it would be evident as a "groin" in the tunnel vaulting and it would look like a knock-out panel on the concourse level if it was designed to facilitate a future fare-paid transfer. I see no such thing in the 3D walk-though of Lyon Station.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

Proof? I doubt the city has this kind of long range vision. If there was a lateral stub it would be evident as a "groin" in the tunnel vaulting and it would look like a knock-out panel on the concourse level if it was designed to facilitate a future fare-paid transfer. I see no such thing in the 3D walk-though of Lyon Station.

Could be an unrelated project, but GeoOttawa, 2015 in front of the Delta Hotel. There is something at the intersection of Queen and O'Connor as well, but it's not as promising.

https://maps.ottawa.ca/geoottawa/

Other than someone (or people) on the forum mentioning this stub at Lyon Station a few times, I've never seen or heard anything of it. I'd like to think the City is capable of such foresight, but they've done little to demonstrate that, Trillium "upgrades" and Bayview's terrible layout being prime examples.