Ottawa approves Stage 2 of the light-rail project
The Ottawa City Council approved the Stage 2 LRT project on March 6. Stage 2 is an ambitious plan to expand the O-Train network in order to bring 77 percent of the city’s population within five kilometers (3.1 miles) of rail.
The network will add 44 kilometers (27.3 miles) of rail and 24 new stations to the south, east and west. The expansions will be completed in phases with openings scheduled 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said, “The approval of Stage 2 of the O-Train is an important step forward for Ottawa as we near the one-million population mark, ensuring that future generations are well served by the world-class public transit.”
The first part of Stage 2 scheduled to be complete in 2022 is the 16-kilometer (9.9-mile) southern extension of the Trillium Line from Greenboro Station to Riverside South, with a link to the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. TransitNEXT, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin, was selected as the preferred proponent to design, build, finance and maintain the Trillium Line extension.
“The Trillium Line extension is an exciting transit expansion project that has been designed to not only address the city of Ottawa’s needs in the shorter-term, but also allow for future conversion to twin-track electric. We are proud to have the opportunity to further contribute our experience and expertise toward the growth of this transit network and help our nation’s capital achieve its vision of shorter commutes, cleaner air and a stronger economy,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, president, Infrastructure at SNC-Lavalin.
The project scope also includes the extension of five station platforms on the existing Trillium line (Bayview, Carling, Mooney’s Bay, Carleton and Greenboro) to accommodate longer trains; construction of two new stations on the existing Trillium Line at: Gladstone and Walkley; four new stations along the extension at: South Keys (connecting to the Airport link), Leitrim, Bowesville and Limebank; two new stations along the new spur line at: Uplands and Airport Terminal; the supply of seven new Stadler vehicles and the overhaul of six existing Alstom trains; construction of a new Walkley Yard Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) and maintenance of the system for 27 years.
The Ottawa City Council also selected East-West Connectors, which includes Kiewit Corporation and Vinci Construction, as the preferred proponent for the Confederation Line extension to the east and west. Stage 2 will also extend the Confederation Line farther east to Place D’Orléans and Trim Road and west to both Moodie Drive and Algonquin Station. The two extensions will add 12.5 kilometers (7.7 miles) of rail and five stations in the east and 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) of rail and 11 stations in the west.
Stage 2 is funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the city of Ottawa. The total project cost is C$4.6 billion (US$3.45 billion).
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
