Light Rail Transit: The O-Train
Since 2001, Ottawa has operated a light rail transit system called the O-Train as a pilot for the full rollout of light rail transit technology. The pilot has been deemed a success, exceeding its ridership targets significantly; it carries 10,000 passengers per weekday. The pilot route utilizes former Canadian Pacific Railway track running south 8 km from the Ottawa River to Greenboro Station (where the South Keys shopping complex is located), and serves Carleton University.
The current line was to be replaced, and then extended south-west (but later cancelled by City Council). It would have contained two parallel tracks, and be electrified. Full operation would have begun in 2009-2010 with a total length of 27 km. However, a new transit plan was voted by Council for extensions to Riverside South and with possible extension to downtown (via a tunnel), Blair, Cumberland South and portions of the west end of the city.
The route of the extension was chosen to service areas of future city growth (although some feel that it would have been better to focus on current problem areas). As a part of the extension, the service would have also be routed directly into the downtown core at the north end. The trains would have run on the downtown streets now devoted to the rapid transit corridor, in dedicated lanes. There would have been a reduction in the number of buses passing through the downtown core to accommodate the train lanes.
A formal environmental assessment was underway to examine providing a second line for east-west service. Although the idea was to improve Ottawa's capacity problems for east-west transportation, critics of the process (including light rail supporters) believed the preferred route would have not address these problems successfully.
The O-Train utilizes the Bombardier "Talent" Diesel Multiple Unit double-ended trainsets, designed and manufactured by Bombardier in Germany. This is the first application of the Talent in North America.
Read more about this topic: Ottawa Rapid Transit
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