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O-Train Light Rail Project

2008 Update


Image: The O-Train pilot project proved that the use of an existing rail corridor for light rail was feasible.

Status

The O-Train began operating in October 2001 as a pilot project, which was then extended to 2005. The O-Train has now become an important part of OC Transpo's public transit service.

Overview

The O-Train was Ottawa's first experience with light rail transit. The O-Train travels an 8-km track past five stations, two of which connect to the city's bus rapid transit system (the "Transitway"), over two bridges and through a tunnel beneath Dow's Lake. The line serves Carleton University, a major employment centre, a high school and a shopping mall in a densely populated neighbourhood.

The O-Train was initiated to assess the technical feasibility of using an existing rail corridor for rapid transit, to validate expectations about ridership, performance and cost, and to allow proper analysis of possible larger-scale implementation.



Contact

John Jensen
Manager, Transit Support
Planning, Transit and the Environment
Transit Services Branch
City of Ottawa
Tel: (613) 842-3636 x. 2218



Service Update

Since this case study was first published in 2005, OC Transpo continues to operate this high-quality light rail service with no major service or route changes. Reliability of service (e.g., on-time performance) has held steady at approximately 99%.



Results

Ridership

The initial ridership target for the O-Train pilot project was between 5,100 and 6,400 trips per day. From October 2001 to July 2003 the service ran every 20 minutes because of track speed restrictions. During that period, maximum ridership on weekdays was about 6,000 but after installing a continuous welded rail, and moving to a 15-minute trip time in 2003, ridership increased to over 8,000 trips per day and has continued to grow since then.

Ridership Results
2004 2005 2006 2007
8,300 8,800 9,100 9,500

Other results, as of 2007, include:

  • Car trips removed during peak periods grew to 900 in 2007 from 600 in 2005;
  • Modal share for transit (includes both the Transitway and the O-Train) increased to 18% in 2007 from 17% in 2005;
  • Annual revenues doubled from $1 million in 2002 to $2 million in 2007. This represents an increased revenue-to-cost ratio of 36% in 2007, compared to 26% in 2002, which surpassed the initial goal of a 32% revenue-to-cost ratio;
  • Were the O-Train to be discontinued, it would take at least 16 buses to replace the service at a capital cost of more than $7 million and an operating cost of $2.9 million.


Inter-Modal Support

The O-Train promotes the use of inter-modal transportation by providing bicycle parking facilities at every O-Train station and allowing riders to bring their bicycles onboard the train with them. Most O-Train stations are accessible from nearby bike paths and local streets, which provide the opportunity for cyclists to connect to the bus rapid transit service to the downtown core and across the city.



Technical Results

The O-Train pilot project proved that the use of an existing rail corridor for light rail was feasible.

In 2002, the implementation of remotely controlled interlockings at the two rail crossings located within the O-Train corridor ensures that the O-Train operates with minimal delays when an O-Train and another railway's train approach the interlocking limits at the same time.

Since the O-Train is a small system, costs are not expected to increase proportionately if the system grows. Track and station maintenance would increase only slightly were the number of trains to double and the costs of providing a round-the-clock maintenance facility would not grow in proportion to the number of trains. This is mainly due to the fact that, even though the O-Train is a small operation, the overhead required to support it could easily support a much larger operation.

A report to the City of Ottawa in July 2004 noted that, "As the system grows, it will benefit from economies of scale and, based on experience elsewhere, costs per vehicle-hour are expected to fall by close to a factor of two. This will make the cost recovery very attractive in comparison with the bus system."



Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction with the O-Train is high. The average travel time reported by riders in surveys carried out in 2002 was 20 minutes per trip; average travel time is now 15 minutes per trip.

No new ridership or impact surveys have been conducted within the last two years, but a customer survey is planned for 2008.



Policy Update

As of January 2008, the City of Ottawa was exploring several new transit options, including an expansion of light rail.

A white paper, Moving Forward with Rapid Transit, was published in the fall of 2007 for public discussion and comment. The city is also in the process of updating its Transportation Master Plan (TMP) to identify policies, programs and projects related to the provision and management of transportation services and facilities to 2031.

The city will hold interim public consultations on the TMP and the draft rapid transit network in March 2008 and again in the fall of 2008. The final version of the TMP will go before council in early 2009 as part of its Official Plan review.



Resources



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Date modified:
2012-02-02