O-Train Lines 2 and 4 to run 6 days a week starting next week

An Alstom LINT train arrives at Airport Station at the Ottawa International Airport on Monday. The new O-Train Line 4 runs between South Keys station and the Ottawa Airport. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

Service on Ottawa’s new north-south LRT line will expand to six days a week next week, as OC Transpo moves to the second phase of the launch of the new system.

The new Line 2 and Line 4 opened to the public on Jan. 6, with service operating Monday to Friday for at least the first two weeks during the first phase of the launch. Line 2 runs between Bayview Station and Limebank Station, while Line 4 operates between South Keys Station and the Ottawa Airport.

OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar says O-Train Lines 2 and 4 will expand to six days a week from Monday to Saturday, with the first Saturday service offered on Jan. 25.

“OC Transpo has closely monitored the performance of the system since the start of revenue service on January 6 to ensure consistently safe and reliable service delivery,” Amilcar said.

“This includes assessing a number of factors, such as overall system operation, stability of staffing levels, full fleet availability, completion of all maintenance activities and that staff are able to respond appropriately to address any service issues when they arise.”

Amilcar says service is operating as planned through the first nine days of service, “with only minor delays experienced.”

“In particular, on Monday, January 13, a train on Line 4 encountered technical issues and a brief system hold was put in place. OC Transpo and TransitNext responded efficiently and restored service on one track, until the impacted train was replaced and full service resumed,” Amilcar said.

“All aspects are being reviewed to capture lessons learned and make adjustments where possible.”

OC Transpo is launching Line 2 and Line 4 in three phases, with the first phase five days a week for a minimum of two weeks. During the second phase, beginning next week, service will operate six days a week for a minimum of two weeks.

Amilcar says during the second phase, OC Transpo and TransitNext will “continue to work collaboratively to capture any lessons learned and continue to monitor the overall performance of the system.”

“During this second phase, operator training and work to improve the stability of customer information systems will continue,” Amilcar said.

During the second phase, OC Transpo says this is the schedule:

• Lines 2 and 4 will continue to operate from 6 a.m. to midnight Mondays to Fridays.
• Lines 2 and 4 will operate from 6:30 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays, with the first Saturday in service day on January 25.
• Existing parallel bus service will continue each day of the week, including B2 buses, Route 97 and 99.
• The Transit App and Travel Planner have been updated to help customers plan their trips.