O-Train Light Rail Project

Ottawa, Ontario

Summary

Organization

City of Ottawa — Transportation Utilities and Public Works Department, OC Transpo

Status

Started 2001, extended to 2005

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, 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.

Budget:

• Capital costs: $21 million
• Two-year operating costs: $8 million 

Results:

• Daily ridership: 9,000+
• Car trips removed per day: 3,000+
• Wheelchair and bicycle accessible
• Annual revenues of $1.6 million, with a revenue/cost ratio of 36% compared to the transit system average of 55%
• 99% on time, compared to 70% for the overall transit system

Contact

Gordon Diamond, Director, Transit Services 
City of Ottawa
Telephone: 613-842-3636 ext. 2271
Email: gordon.diamond@transpo.ottawa.on.ca

Resources

• OC Transpo — O-Train information
• City of Ottawa — O-Train Evaluation Report

---

Community context

In 2001, 11 rural and urban municipalities—including the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton—were amalgamated into the new City of Ottawa. The city’s population is projected to increase by 50% by 2021, from 800,000 to 1,200,000.

The city’s 2003 Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan set the objectives and the strategies for long-range planning for the public transit system. These are discussed in more detail in the Policy Context and Rationale sections of this case study.

Overall, the city’s average transit modal share (the percentage of residents who use public transit) is 17% and is projected to be 30% by 2021.

passenger trains had been mixed with heavy rail traffic on an existing rail network, and the first time passenger rail services had been operated by a single operator. In addition, this was the first time Bombardier Talent DMU trains had been used anywhere in North America, and the first trains driven by bus operators.

---

Policy context

In July 1997, the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton adopted a new Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan that set a target of 73% growth in transit ridership in the region over the next 25 years.

To meet the needs of anticipated growth, the region set out long-range transit strategy that included, as one element, 40 kilometres of rail-based rapid transit along existing rail lines. This network would support and enhance the city’s existing transit operations, which include the 31-kilometre Transitway.

In August 1998 the Region began a year-long study to assess the feasibility of implementing a light rail rapid transit project. The Region studied the existing infrastructure, the types of trains that could be used, an analysis of ridership potential and how light rail could be expanded beyond a pilot project. In September 1999 the Region approved the O-Train pilot project.

In 2003, the new City of Ottawa adopted Ottawa 2020, its new Official Plan. After a two-year community consultation process, Ottawa 2020 resulted in five growth management plans that will guide the city’s future. One of these is the Transportation Master Plan, which includes objectives and strategies for an expansion of light rail transit.

---

Rationale and objectives

The O-Train was initiated to:

• Assess the technical feasibility of using an existing rail corridor for rapid transit
• Validate expectations about ridership, performance and cost
• Allow proper analysis of possible larger-scale implementation

In addition, the city aimed to reach a revenue-to-cost ratio of 27% to 32% with daily ridership of between 5,100 and 6,400 passengers.

The O-Train helps to achieve the following objectives of the 2003 Transportation Master Plan: 

• Increasing the overall average modal share for transit from 17% to 30%
• Enhancing the integration of transit with other travel modes, making transit services and facilities more accessible to pedestrians, cyclists, automobile drivers and passengers, and intercity travelers
• Partnering with employers, educational institutions and community groups to implement measures that encourage transit use through education, promotion and incentives
• Expanding the rapid transit system to create new Transitway and light rail networks and to build dozens of new stations and several new Park & Ride lots

---

Actions — Program planning

Steering committee. The steering committee created to oversee the pilot project included two municipal councillors and members of Transport 2000, a non-profit organization whose primary purpose is research, public education and consumer advocacy. The steering committee reported to council and to the Transportation and Transit Committee on a regular basis.

Negotiating an agreement with CPR. With no prior experience in light rail, the region needed considerable outside expertise to implement the pilot project. Municipal officials negotiated a lump sum build/design contract with CPR, which gave them access to CPR’s knowledge and experience and enabled the region to control the project costs and implement the service quickly.

Partner expertise. There were no examples in North America of a single operator passenger train, so municipal officials relied on the expertise of its partners to design and implement the O-Train. More than a dozen partners lent their experience and knowledge to the project. Some of them include:

• CPR, as owner of the corridor, engaged Morrison Hershfield (an engineering and management firm) to manage the project. This included design and construction administration, upgrading the lines and maintenance facilities, and building the rail stations. 
• Bombardier provided and maintains the trains and, with AR Concepts, developed and installed the signaling system.
• Transport Canada worked with the city to develop an operating plan that met federal legislation requirements under the Rail Safety Act. The plan includes operating rules, emergency procedures, employee training programs, and a Safety Management System.

Engaging the community. A Light Rail Pilot Project Sounding Board was created and consisted of representatives from community associations and schools near the line, special interest groups, and major employment centres. Other businesses and institutions that would be affected by the project were also consulted. The Board sought input from these stakeholders on issues of customer security, noise, and accessibility.

Municipal staff also worked with the Women’s Initiative for a Safe Environment (WISE) and Ottawa Police Services on the design of the security system (extensive high-quality lighting, emergency call boxes and closed-circuit television surveillance). The OC Transpo security group also established partnerships with Carleton University’s security department, Ottawa Police Services and the ambulance and fire services.

Environmental Assessment (EA). Environmental assessments were performed under the Province of Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act. The EA also met federal requirements through a harmonized process to satisfy the National Capital Commission (which owns part of the property) and Public Works and Government Services Canada.

Two station sites required EA screenings, and two stations required environmental site assessments. A bridge at Sawmill Creek, for example, required a major safety reconstruction. Under stringent environmental guidelines, new foundation requirements temporarily re-routed the creek into a culvert. On-going monitoring conditions had to meet the approval of the conservation authority, as Sawmill Creek is a sensitive environmental area with fish habitat.

Safety management system (SMS). Federal regulations required that a SMS be developed to ensure the safety of employees, contractors, the public and the environment. Municipal staff worked with Transport Canada, Human Resources Development Canada, CPR, CN, and VIA for their input and to review the SMS.

Operator training. Most railway systems operated in other North American jurisdictions employ locomotive engineers, who have already met all the necessary regulatory standards. The region, however, decided to use its existing staff pool to operate the O-Train. One hundred and twenty-five bus drivers applied for 28 positions, and those chosen successfully completed a six-week training course presented by CANAC, a consulting firm associated with CN Rail. The training was then followed by a mentoring period. When not operating the O-Train, these operators drive buses.

Communications strategy. Promotion of the project started a year before the line was operational, beginning with a tracking-laying ceremony at Carleton University. Media and local politicians participated in the ceremony and promotional literature was distributed to the public. A communication program was developed in early 2001 around selecting the O-Train name. Construction activities were highlighted in the local press, and billboards in support of the project were erected in the summer of 2001. When operations began in October 2001, passengers rode for free for the first two months.

---

Actions — Program measures

The 8-km line. Prior to the O-Train project, the CPR freight line and its rail yard were seldom used and in poor condition. CPR upgraded the line to accommodate the O-Train, and no other trains use the track except when the O-Train is not operating.

The CPR track crosses two other active rail lines, making the signalling and braking systems (discussed below) important safety elements.

The line also runs through a 600-metre tunnel beneath Dow’s Lake. The tunnel was upgraded to meet engineering standards and to install a water system to provide a source of water for fire fighting in the tunnel. Lighting in the tunnel was improved and a walkway system installed in case of emergencies.

The original jointed track was upgraded but caused problems such as damage to the trains and excessive noise. It also made the ride uncomfortable for passengers. Instead, OC Transpo installed continuous welded rail in the summer of 2003 at a cost of $2.2 million, adding to the original capital budget for the project.

Signalling system. The existing Automatic Block Signal (ABS) system was overhauled as it was antiquated and did not function according to the needs of the O-Train line. Signal hardware and wiring were renovated and locations changed to provide efficient signal communication to trains.

Braking system. A German-designed Indusi automatic braking system was installed—the first time such a system had been used in North America. The Indusi system is computerized and consists of track magnets and speed monitoring devices on the trains. If the train is moving too fast, the braking system detects it and initiates the brakes automatically. The Indusi system works with the ABS system so that proper train separation is maintained. Safety is further enhanced through direct operator control.

Bombardier Talent Diesel Multiple Units (DMU). Three Bombardier Talent DMU trains were commissioned. The trains were built in Germany and shipped first to Montreal before arriving in Ottawa in January 2001.

The trains use Clear No. 1 diesel fuel, which contains less sulphur than other grades. The trains comply with exhaust emission requirements of Euro-II contaminant standards (the standards set by the European Union).

Each train weighs 72,000 kg, is 48 metres long, with seating capacity for 137 passengers and standing capacity for 150.

Each train is equipped with two four-stroke diesel engines, water-cooled in-line motors, and a horizontal-shaft design with exhaust gas turbocharger and charge cooler. Top speed is 120 km/hr. 

Accessibility. The trains operate in a freight corridor and since freight trains are wider than the Bombardier trains, it was necessary to install flip-down platform extenders to allow wheelchair access. The extenders are lightweight, but strong enough to hold a wheelchair, and are easily flipped back on top of the platform when freight trains use the line.