Wait times for the O-Train could be reduced as early as 2014, thanks to a unanimous approval by Ottawa’s transit commission for a $59-million expansion to the system.
The expansion includes six new trains for the existing track between Bayview and Greenboro Stations, four of which will be added to the line to reduce wait times from 15 minutes to eight minutes, according to the Ottawa Citizen. The other two trains will be kept in case one breaks down.
O-Train ridership has reached capacity at some stations since the introduction of the U-Pass. The introduction of the four new trains will expand capacity by 80 per cent, as the Citizen reported.
The O-Train expansion is one of the changes to be made to Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) in the coming years. The new light rail transit system should be in place by the 2018, according to a report released by the City of Ottawa in May, one year earlier than expected under the old council.
Once completed, the new LRT line will run from Tunney’s Pasture to Blair Station.