The O-Train reopened Sept. 3 after an 18-week closure for upgrades related to the service expansion planned for 2014, according to Troy Charter, OC Transpo’s manager of transit operations.
For a few days following its opening, the O-Train system will run at a slower speed where construction on the tracks has taken place. This slow speed is a normal part of service resumption, Charter said via email, and is in accordance with Transport Canada rail track safety rules.
The upgrades were completed during the summer when O-Train ridership is at its lowest. During the summer months, there are only 40 per cent of the usual amount of riders, Charter said.
The expansion is part of the city’s plan to accomodate transit users in Ottawa’s south end while transitway service is disrupted during construction of the Confederation Line project, he said.
In 2014 the city plans to have six trains running on the tracks. The new trains will be set up during overnight hours and will not cause a service disruption, Charter said.
The new system will increase capacity, reduce wait times, and improve comfort and convenience, he said.
During the time the O-Train was closed down, commuters used the replacement 107 route from the Lebreton Station to the South Keys Station. The route stopped running once the O-Train reopened.
