Trillium Line Upgrades & Extension (Stage 2) [Greenboro to Airport/Limebank] | U/C

[TransitZilla]

The info from the Rideau River Pedestrian Bridge session from earlier in the week is now online: https://ottawa.ca/en/planning-develo...estrian-bridge

[J.OT13]

Video of girder installation at the Airport Parkway. I'm unable to embed the video on the forum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...ature=emb_logo

• Video Link

[Baybreeze12]

Does anyone know if there are numbers out on projected ridership once Stage 2 opens? I find it interesting that daily ridership right before the line shut down (and the pandemic) had climbed to almost 20k, which seems like a lot for such a neglected line!

For context, the Scarborough RT averages 35k (in 6.4km) daily, while the Sheppard Subway hits about 50k (in 5.5km), and those have considerably more infrastructure than Trillium.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Baybreeze12

Does anyone know if there are numbers out on projected ridership once Stage 2 opens? I find it interesting that daily ridership right before the line shut down (and the pandemic) had climbed to almost 20k, which seems like a lot for such a neglected line!

For context, the Scarborough RT averages 35k (in 6.4km) daily, while the Sheppard Subway hits about 50k (in 5.5km), and those have considerably more infrastructure than Trillium.

I don't remember seeing Stage 2 ridership numbers for Confederation or Trillium. Before the pandemic, I would have estimated Stage 2 ridership for Trillium to be around 30,000. That could go up fast within 10 years with significant TOD and the new Civic Hospital.

Because of the pandemic, fear and new work-from-home procedures, it might have a significant long-term impact on ridership.

[J.OT13]

O-Train South Extension - Construction Update
July 3, 2020



In the south, there is ongoing work at the Walkley Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) and on multiple rail bridges including Airport Parkway, Uplands Road, Lester Road, Leitrim Road, Bowesville Road, Earl Armstrong Road, and Limebank Road.

Existing Trillium Line:

Gladstone Station

▪ Rock excavation is underway through the use of hoe ramming and controlled blasting.

Carleton Station

▪ Work is starting at Carleton Station to create a laydown area. MUP and pedestrian detours will be implemented to reroute the public away from construction.

Dows Lake Tunnel

▪ Preparations are underway for the removal of rail in the Dows Lake Tunnel.
▪ Rail and track ties have been removed from outside the south entrance of the Dows Lake Tunnel.

Ellwood Diamond

▪ Crews have removed the northbound and southbound sections of rail and track ties to accommodate the construction of the new rail bridge between Mooney’s Bay Station and Walkley Station which will carry Line 2 over the VIA rail corridor.
▪ Caisson work is currently underway.

Walkley Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF)

▪ Crews continue to work on the MSF Main Building foundations including concrete work for the light and heavy maintenance pits, elevator pits, grade beams and underfloor services.
▪ Civil works for the underground utilities including watermain, storm drainage and sanitary system are continuing.
▪ Rail removal near the MSF is underway.

Trillium Line South Extension:

Airport Parkway Rail Bridge

▪ Retaining wall construction is complete.
▪ Crews completed the installation of rail bridge girders during the daytime on June 16 and overnight on June 17.
▪ Precast concrete span girders are hoisted at night with a 500-tonne crane.

Airport Elevated Guideway

▪ 13 of 17 caissons have been poured to date.
▪ 8 of 17 columns have been poured to date.
▪ Column work is complete at the Airport loading dock and crews are constructing the pier cap.



Uplands Drive Rail Bridge

▪ Crews completed the installation of rail bridge girders overnight on June 8.
▪ Retaining wall construction continues.

Lester Road Rail Bridge

▪ Pier cap construction continues.
▪ Preparations are underway for installation of rail girders on July 2.


Bridge superstructure work continues at Lester Rail Bridge. Girder installation took place on July 2, 2020.

Leitrim Road Rail Bridge

▪ 2 of 4 caissons are complete. The 2 remaining north caissons are pending watermain reconfiguration.
▪ Preparations are underway for 2 of the 4 columns.
▪ Construction of retaining wall is underway.

Bowesville Road Rail Bridge

▪ Crews completed installation of rail bridge girder installation overnight on June 10.

Earl Armstrong Rail Bridge

▪ 4 of 4 caissons are complete.
▪ Work on 4 columns and pier caps continue.

Limebank Elevated Guideway

▪ 5 of 10 caissons are complete.
▪ Crews have started constructing 5 of 10 columns.
▪ Ground improvement work for the Limebank Road embankment continues.

Guideway between Leitrim Road and Earl Armstrong Road

▪ Ground improvement work is underway at the Earl Armstrong Road embankments.

Guideway between Hunt Club Road and Leitrim Road:

▪ Embankment work is ongoing.

https://mailchi.mp/95d2467ff0a5/o-tr...0?e=a999a549a3

[Catenary]

Mobilization seems to be underway at South Keys station, which I imagine will be the most involved station in this project. Pomerleau is the subcontractor for construction.

[J.OT13]

I email the Stage 2 team for travel time estimates. Here's their response (a little over 24 hours).

Thank you for writing to the Stage 2 Office.

Based on preliminary estimates, I’ve listed approximate travel times from the locations you’ve requested below. Please note these are preliminary and are subject to change based on future design efforts and further operational planning exercises (dwell times, etc).

• Trim-Moodie 61 mins
• Blair-Moodie 45 mins
• Trim-Baseline 55 mins

• Moodie-Lincoln Fields 12-13 mins
• Baseline-Lincoln Fields 8-9 mins

• Bayview-Limebank 37 mins
• Bayview-South Keys 25 mins
• South Keys-Airport 13 mins

Have a nice weekend.

[caveat.doctor]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I email the Stage 2 team for travel time estimates. Here's their response (a little over 24 hours).
...
Bayview-South Keys 25 mins
South Keys-Airport 13 mins

Thanks, good info! So with 7 minutes between Bayview and Rideau (for example), we're looking at at least 45 minutes now between downtown and the airport? Seems like a big downgrade from the buses, went from 20 minutes ("Fast, Frequent, Direct") back in the day



to 25 minutes today with the train transfer at Hurdman



Understanding that transit users to/from airports might not be as time-sensitive, unless frequency is that much better than the buses (every 15 min, as I remember it) this would seem to make it more hassle than its worth as compared to other options, no?

[J.OT13]

I agree. This is quite embarrassing really.

[Brannwagon]

Yeah, as both a frequent flyer and big transit user, it's sad that I will probably switch to Uber for my airport-downtown commute after Stage 2.

As someone who travels to many cities of similar size as Ottawa who continually punch above their weight, it's quite sad that Ottawa would rather sell itself short - especially given that we are a G7 capital.

[On Edge]

Originally Posted by Brannwagon

Yeah, as both a frequent flyer and big transit user, it's sad that I will probably switch to Uber for my airport-downtown commute after Stage 2.

As someone who travels to many cities of similar size as Ottawa who continually punch above their weight, it's quite sad that Ottawa would rather sell itself short - especially given that we are a G7 capital.

Couldn't agree more. Why oh why did they not just split trains at South Keys or have every Nth one go to the airport.

[Multi-modal]

What I don't understand is how the Airport-South Keys section, which is a new section that should have passing tracks optimized to maximize speed - has a 13 minute travel time... that is an average speed of 20km/h with only one station (Uplands, within the passing tracks) in a 4.2km section.

[Baybreeze12]

Originally Posted by Multi-modal

What I don't understand is how the Airport-South Keys section, which is a new section that should have passing tracks optimized to maximize speed - has a 13 minute travel time... that is an average speed of 20km/h with only one station (Uplands, within the passing tracks) in a 4.2km section.

Could it be because of the timed transfer? If main-line trains are arriving at South Keys every 12ish minutes, maybe they're looking to sync that schedule to the airport branch.

Still super unfortunate...

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by Baybreeze12

Could it be because of the timed transfer? If main-line trains are arriving at South Keys every 12ish minutes, maybe they're looking to sync that schedule to the airport branch.

Still super unfortunate...

Ya now that I think about it, 13 minutes doesn't make any sense. They are planning to sync the airport line to the main Trillium Line, so the headway will be every 12 minutes. Therefore, travel time from end-to-end has to be 12 minutes or less. With some dwell time at South Keys Station and the Airport Station travel time has to be somewhere in the realm of 8 minutes for this to work.

Similarly I believe they are planning to run 6 trains on the Trillium Line mainline, so to have a 12 minute headway the end-to-end travel time has to be 36 minutes or less. I am very skeptical of these numbers.

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by Multi-modal

Similarly I believe they are planning to run 6 trains on the Trillium Line mainline, so to have a 12 minute headway the end-to-end travel time has to be 36 minutes or less. I am very skeptical of these numbers.

They are going to use 7 trains on the mainline.

[OCCheetos]

I suspect the elevated section past Uplands will be operated at lower speeds similar to the UPX.

I think it would be worth asking for clarification on the time given for the Airport link.

[lrt's friend]

The bigger loss is actually for the riders from South Keys to downtown, which will greatly outnumber airport riders. Bus schedules used to get riders from the Rideau Centre to South Keys in about 20 minutes before the shutdown of the Transitway to downtown. Rail trips will be at least 30 minutes.

Do we have the final design for South Keys? If airport trains and Riverside South trains share the same platform, we can almost count on 6 minute waits at South Keys, allowing sufficient time for the airport shuttle to clear the platform and enter the pocket track for the arival of the Riverside South train.

[OCCheetos]

Ok, looking at some of the videos available on YouTube of full rides on the O-Train both before and after the 'improvements':

Before: 13 minutes
After: ~15 minutes

Stadler's Simulations: 16 minutes (Bayview - South Keys, AM Peak)
Stage 2 Team: 25 minutes (Bayview - South Keys)


I suspect the ~20 minute times post-improvements were during peak periods when dwell times are much longer (especially Carling/Mooney's Bay) and/or a train was delayed by a VIA train.

But otherwise, these numbers seem inflated, severely.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by Multi-modal

Ya now that I think about it, 13 minutes doesn't make any sense. They are planning to sync the airport line to the main Trillium Line, so the headway will be every 12 minutes. Therefore, travel time from end-to-end has to be 12 minutes or less. With some dwell time at South Keys Station and the Airport Station travel time has to be somewhere in the realm of 8 minutes for this to work.

Similarly I believe they are planning to run 6 trains on the Trillium Line mainline, so to have a 12 minute headway the end-to-end travel time has to be 36 minutes or less. I am very skeptical of these numbers.

The Line 2 travel times make more sense if the numbers provided include the dwell times at the terminus stations.

[J.OT13]

Confederation Line estimates seem about right, though a little slower than what I would have liked, but I agree Trillium seems off. Either that, or the new service will in fact be 3 times slower than it was when the line opened in 2001. I guess the more passing tracks added, the slower the trains. Distance vs service. The City chose the former.