Weekly newsletter: January 7, 2025

Welcome to 2025, happy New Year! I hope you had a restful Christmas holiday season. Happy Orthodox Christmas, by the way.

My new year’s resolution is to better regulate my bedtime. No more midnight… or 1:00 am emails, for example.

Trillium Line now open

Lines 2 and 4 open for weekday service.

Early yesterday morning, I parked my car at Bowesville Station and took a ride on the first-ever scheduled northbound trip on O-Train Line 2.

Although I’ve been on the Trillium Line twice before it opened, seeing it finally in passenger service and seeing how the general public interacted with the new system was different!

There were many commuters going to work and school, people checking out the new line, and even a few travellers on the airport spur (Line 4) with baggage in tow.

My first northbound trip was the 6:17 am departure from Bowesville Station, the first scheduled northbound trip.

However, it seemed like just before that, there is a train that uses Bowesville to turn around to begin service at Leitrim Station, but it picked up the passengers waiting at Bowesville anyway, becoming the unofficial first departure. I’m going to look into that.

My first northbound trip had a two-minute delay at Leitrim Station, but that was made up by the time we reached Dow’s Lake (formerly Carling Station).

I also tried out Line 4 to the airport. The transfer is easy and straightforward, considering South Keys has a centre island platform, although the station is kind of windswept. I think that’s the coldest station on the Trillium Line, but every station has enclosed heated waiting areas.

Two types of trains will operate on the Trillium Line; The newest vehicles, the white Stadler FLIRT trains, will operate exclusively on Line 2. These are off-the-shelf trains already in use worldwide, including several similarly cold locations. The heating restores the temperature after the doors close within seconds!

The older red Alstom LINT trains will operate mostly on Line 4, but may sometimes operate in coupled trains on Line 2. These are the same vehicles from before the line closed for the extension/expansion project.

The morning was otherwise uneventful, which I’d argue is a good thing, given our experience with Line 1’s launch in 2019. I remain cautiously optimistic.

After half a morning of self-congratulations, I went home at 10:00 am.

I noted a few observations and have shared the following feedback with staff:

• The first 74 arrives at Limebank Station just after the first train leaves

• The last 74 departs Limebank Station just before the last train arrives

• The 74 stop at Limebank Station can be located much closer (it’s not as far at Tunney’s Pasture, but it can still be better)

• Signage for the Limebank Station drop-off/pick-up is poor

• Half the Bowesville Park and Ride was blocked by snowbanks at the section entrances, so the lot was “full” by 8:30 am, with many empty spaces inaccessible

• The signal timing to exit Bowesville Park and Ride can be shortened

As the suggestions make their way through the bureaucracy, I will share updates!

Connections to the line

For now, only routes 74 and 99 will connect Barrhaven with Line 2 — the 74 at Limebank and the 99 at Leitrim.

More local connections to Line 2 will be available when the realigned bus network launches with the April service change. Even then, I doubt there is a need for the farthest platforms at Limebank Station to be used.

For passengers getting dropped off at Limebank Station, continue east on Earl Armstrong until Limebank Road, turn right, then turn right into the station. After dropping off, continue on the roadway back to Earl Armstrong (graphic below).

Parking is available at Bowesville Station, as the area around Limebank will eventually be developed, per the City’s current Official Plan.

What’s next?

Lines 2 and 4 will continue operating weekday-only service for at least the next two weeks.

The weekends will give OC Transpo a chance to correct any issues they may find in the first two weeks. More information about introducing Saturday service should be available next week.

Although the Trillium Line’s opening is something worth celebrating, it is not the solution to our transit woes. Despite its recent stability, the Confederation Line still doesn’t have a permanent sustainable solution (there’s supposed to be an update on that in the next few months).

Meanwhile, past procurement decisions have left us with a bus fleet that’s mostly 15+ years old, with our oldest buses approaching 20. The good news is the order of new buses placed in 2023 are finally beginning to arrive and are currently undergoing pre-delivery inspection.

Wishing you a productive first full week back. Stay warm!

-Wilson